Sherman reads Black Beauty
by Sand n' Sable
Summary: A tribute to Sherman Potter...his life, his loves. Those who love him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N-I wanted to write a story worthy of the memory of Harry Morgan ( Col. Sherman Potter ) and I think I have found one, please leave reviews and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer-Most of the characters from **_**M*A*S*H **_**and **_**Black Beauty**_** are not mine but one that I will make. You'll see !**

"I want Grandpa to read !" The little brown haired girl in pink pajamas was bouncing up and down and Sherman T. Potter sat by her and smiled and then they heard a voice saying, "Baby, grandpa might be too tired to read, he's had a lot to do today" Sherman looks at her very sternly and with a firm voice he says, " Night skies I haven't done anything today but sit around until you and Radar got here! Now, if my granddaughter wants me to read to her, I will! You go sit with your husband and Mother and we'll go read...what do you want to read Sweetie?" The little girl thinks then says, "_Black Beauty!"_ Sherman smiles as she hands him the book and she takes his elderly hand and the woman smiles and tears come to her eyes as she watches them walk off down the hall.

The blond haired woman turns and walks down the hall to the warm kitchen and she sees her leprechaun cute husband, Walter O'Rielly but also affectionately called Radar. He wasn't called that for years coming back from the war but it was more common sense coming here and she was finding herself warming up to it. A tender, gray haired woman named Mildred was with him and she had a coffee cup in her hand and Radar asks, "Did she have him read to her?" The woman shakes her head and says, "She insisted and of coarse he did it" Mildred takes a sip of coffee then says, " He has certainly picked up his spirits since you came Radar" Radar smiles warmly then says, "I had to come, we've come every summer since 53 but this summer..." Mildred says, "We came there, we had to come when when heard of Edna's death, you didn't have to come Walter" He just shrugs his shoulders then says, "I just had to come , I don't know why...he's been like a pop to me for years" The blond haired woman leans over and whispers, "And to me" Mildred smiles and takes their hands and says, "I'm glad you two got married Sunshine" She sighs then says, "Ever since our daughter and her family were killed in that automobile accident...the people from M*A*S*H are , well, they mean more to Sherman than ever"

Sunshine and Radar look at each other and she asks, "What's he been doing?" Mildred takes a sip of her coffee then says, "Well, let me tell you" Mildred sits back with her coffee in hand while Radar and Sunshine listen.

Back in the guest room, Sherman sits on the bed with his adopted granddaughter and they snuggle in and he asks, "You want me to start from the top Munchkin'?" "Yes, Grandpa! Please!" He chuckles and opens the book then starts reading, _'The first place I well remember was a large pleasent meadow with a pond of clear water on it..._Sherman read to the little girl who looked at him with eyes full of innocent love and when he got to the line that said, _'I have never forgotton my mother's advice: I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess , but he often called her Pet..."_ The little girl sweetly yawned and by the time he read the last line of the chapter, _'Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was just as gentle as our master, so we were well off'_ She was asleep.

Sherman wiggled himself out of his little granddaughter's little grasp and covered her up and put her pink teddy bear with her and looked at the old copy of _'Black Beauty' _and smiles then goes on quietly out of the room and goes to his room, takes off his robe and gets in bed and starts to read then Mildred comes in and she sees what her husband is doing and she asks, "A little nighttime reading?" He shakes his head and says, "Yes, I wanted to do a little more reading of the book to be more familar in reading it to Misty" Mildred smiles and says, "I'm going to get ready for bed" He asks her, "Are Radar and Sunshine settled in?"

She smiles and says, "Yes, they are. You know this place is home to them...more than their own home" He shakes his head and then a memory comes to him. He was no more than 4 years old, he was proud of himself because his hand was finally able to be firmly in his dad's large hand. His dad was a tall man, he had chestnut colored hair, a strong chin, bold blue eyes and a smile that made you wonder what he was up to...they were walking along when they came to a old man with a bunch of ponies walking in a small circle and Sherman's dad asks him, "Sherman, would you like to ride the ponies?" Sherman looks up at his father and smiles and nods his head and his father asks, "Which one would you like to ride?" Sherman looks at them then says, "The white one" His dad smiles and says, "Good choice" He picks up his young son and puts him on the horse then pulls out of his pocket and gives a nickel to the old man then says, "I used to have a white horse like this...a horse is bigger than a pony and someday soon, I'll get you a white horse and I'll teach you all I know about horses"

The father watches his son with pride as he rides.

Sherman pulls out of the memory and he sits up and starts to get out of bed when Mildred asks, "Are you all right Sherman?" He looks at his wife and says, "Just fine mother, just fine. I 'm just going to stretch my legs a bit" She shakes her head and goes to sleep and he goes over to the window and says, "Good night pop". He continues looking out the window.


	2. Chapter 2 Memory of a Death

A few nights later at Sherman' s house, a poker game is going on, Sherman is at the head of the table a tall man sits at his right in a vest sweater and on his left is a black haired man then Radar then a man who reminds us all of someone without a chin. He asks, "Can I have another lemon squash?" The men all groan and Sherman says, "No, no more, let's keep our wits about us right now" The man makes a groan then puts it the martini glass down and he asks, "Why do you call it this?" Sherman looks up briefly from his cards then says in a gruff voice, "I just do, you don't have to worry about it Fendoer-wassay , you're not having another one and I just won this hand" All the men groan and Sherman gives his cackle and puts down his winning hand then rakes in his winnings and little Misty walks in and she asks, "Grandpa, are you going to read to me tonight?" He forgets everything else and looks at her with the love of a grandfather and asks "Do you want me to?" A little frustrated, she says, "Yes, Grandpa!"

He smiles and gets up from his seat and says, "You boys will have to cut me out of the next round, I got things to do" Sherman gets up and when he leaves, the man who reminds us all of Frank burns asks, "Why does he not like me? Because I am French?" Radar gives a 'hmpf' to that and says, "Col. Potter isn't that way...if he didn't like you, you wouldn't even be here. You just remind us both of somebody from our unit" The black haired man says, "That is one of the greatest men alive ! I'll challenge anybody to say different " The other man asks, "Are you sure he won't be back? We're going to play a while longer" Radar shakes his head then says, "He won't , see, he reads to her whenever she wants...not every night but when he finishes, he just goes straight to bed. Guess it tires him out" The black haired man asks, "Has Sunshine tried to stop her?" "Yeah, but it's no good, he insists" "I've always meant to ask you...Sunshine? Is that her real name?" Radar looks at him then says, "Yes, her parents gave it to her as a given name and she uses it. I love it" All the men laugh and the man says, "I'm just glad my wife's name is Millie" The other man says, "And my Laura" The French man then says, "I love all women...all thier names" The men laugh then one of the men says, "Walter, I'm glad you are here" Radar says, "So am I, Sunshine and I are talking about moving down here" The men smile and laugh then one says, "Hey, that will be great! Hannibal can use a good weather man" Radar then says, "Well, the T.V. station just down the road has hired me, I'm supposed to start next week" One of the men asks, "Where will you live?" Radar shrugs his shoulders then says, "Here I suppose, Col. Potter wouldn't have it any other way...at least until Sunshine and I find a house" Just then the black haired poker player says, "Hey, let me tell you about the first time I met Sherman...this will tell you the type of man here" Radar says, "We already know he's the best but go on and tell us Jerry" He clears his throat then says, "Well, it was two weeks after the war was over, Millie was pregnant with our first boy and she had been telling me for days she was in labor but I didn't believe her so..." Jerry goes on to tell them while Sherman and Misty settle in to read the 2nd chapter of the story.

Sherman was a little hesitant to read this chapter to his granddaughter but he reasoned that it was just a story and this was much easier to read than what death he has seen in in every war. The little girl settled in beside him sitting Indian style and looking at him with expectation, Sherman took a breath then read, " ' _Before I was two years old, a circumstance happened which I have never forgotten. _He looked down and the little girl was just looking for him to continue and he did and when he got to the part on page 7 where he read , _"His neck is broken," said my mother,_ he looked at her again and the little girl only yawned and she asked, "Is something wrong Grandpa?" He just smiled and said, "No Munchkin, nothing's wrong at all, I was just seeing if you were paying attention" She shakes her head and says, "Yes, I am. Please go on!"

He chuckles a bit then he reads the rest of the chapter and when he get to the last paragraph and he looks at her again and she is sleeping heavy already and he smiles and shakes his head then reads it to himself, _' Not many days after, we heard the church bell tolling for a long time; and looking over the gate we saw a long, strange black coach that was covered with black cloth and was drawn by black horses; and after that came another and another and another, and they were all black, while the bell kept toilling. They were carrying young Gordon to the churchyard to bury him. He would never ride again. What they did with Rob Roy I never knew; but twas all for one little hare._

He closed the book and quietly went out of the room after making sure she was covered again and he went to his room and sat down on the bed and put his hands on his old knees and was in thought when Mildred came in and she looks at her husband of nearly 40 years and she smiles and just goes over to the dresser to take off her earrings then she calmly asks, "Are you going to go sit out on the poarch?" He shakes his head and he gets up and goes out. He just gets to the kitchen when he hears the laughter of the men and Jerry says, "And that's how my son was born...he won't go see another doctor...my only worry is will we go get him to see another one when he's 32?" They all laugh and Sherman smiles knowing what they are talking about so he quietly turns and goes out the back way. He goes and sits in a red swing with a matching red cover and he remembers...

His pop had got him that large white horse when he was 9 and he did teach him everything he knew but by the time he was 10 1/2, he remembers he was in the house with his mother helping her clean their log home when they heard horses whinnying and trompling up and they went out there and they saw about 4 men and over one painted horse was a large man sized bag and Sherman somehow knew.

He remembers his mother sniffing then just turns and goes in the house to start supper. The men stood around looking at each other like ducks on a pond then they go over and take down the body and go into the barn to start making the coffin he supposed. After about 30 minutes of standing by himself in the cold October winds, he opens the house door to the smell of supper being prepared and he says, "I'm going riding maw" She stands up from cutting potatoes and she goes over, as tall and proud as any mother and woman could be and she says, "Don't go far, I'll call you for supper" He starts to leave but then he stops and says, "Maw, how did he die?"

She stiffens but doesn't blink a eye and says, "They said he broke his neck...the bridge collapsed he was working on with his crew" He shakes his head and leaves. He gets on his horse, "Luke", his pop taught him to name his horses people names because they didn't deserve no less, most horses were smarter than human beings than much was clear in a lot of cases.

He got on Luke and rode and rode for a long time, it felt like he had rode for miles but he clearly heard his mother's crystal clear voice hollering, "Sherman! Suppertime!"

He rode back to his house in a trot and thought some more as he went home.

Back on the swing, in November of 1965, Sherman stands up and says, "Thanks Pop, you taught me a lot and I loved that horse"

He goes back into the house.

**On one episode, Sherman and company had dreams or rather nightmares of the past. I wanted to use that little snippet in this chapter. Please read and review.**

**Sand 'N Sable**


	3. Chapter 3 Leaving

**A/N-This chapter, well, Col. Potter mentioned that it was a Uncle in one episode that got him interested in medicine so this chapter will explore that and why in M*A*S*H he said he was from Nebraska.**

It was a few days later, Sherman was sitting on the porch watching Misty play with her dolls under the shade tree then Radar came with a couple of boxes and bought them to the porch, he put them down beside some rags and takes out some Mason Jars and hands one to him with a rag and they both start cleaning them out inside and out. Misty looks at them then she goes over to them and she looks at them then asks, "What are you doing daddy?" "Oh, we're cleaning out the jars for Mommy and grandma to use" "For what?" "Oh, to make preserves"

Just as more confused, she asks, "To make what?" Sherman and Radar laugh then Radar says, "To make perserve...to put things in the jar so they won't spoil and we can eat them later" She shakes her head and just plays with her doll then looks up at the sky then asks, "Daddy?" He finishes wiping off one jar and puts it down then says, "What Misty?" "What got you interested in weather? I mean, why did you become a weather man?" Radar looks at Col. Potter and smiles then puts down the rag and looks at her then says, "You know how daddy can sometimes tell you or mommy when something is going to happen?" "Yes, I like that" "That's why and so I can tell people and help my their day happy" "Oh"

Misty twirls her little rag doll around then goes over to Sherman and asks, "Grandpa, can you read me _**'Black Beauty' **_now?" Sherman looks at her then asks, "Great guns of roses, why now?" "Because Sally across the street wants me to come spend the night with her and you can't come over there that late,her daddy won't let you. So I want you to read the story to me now" He smiles at her then asks Radar, "Can you do this son?" Radar shakes his head and says, "Sure, I got this. You two go on" "Okay, you go get the book Misty. It's in your room" She smiles and she says, "I'll be back quicker than a bunny! Sit down Grandpa!" He gives a soft chuckle and sits down in the swing at the end of the porch then a few seconds later, she comes running with anticipation with the book.

She sits down beside him and looking at him as he gets to the right chapter, he then reads '_I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black. I had one white foot, and a pretty star on my forehead...' _Radar looks at smiles at them and he sees that the two of the most favorite people in his life are really getting into reading the book, so he puts down the cleaning rag and goes into the house and comes back out with a camera and takes a picture for memory.

Sherman kept thinking of his first horse , 'Luke' as he kept reading the descriptions of the horse and how it was broke in then he came to another part..._'I shall never forget the first train that ran by...' _Misty then watches her grandpa as his face changes. Sherman gets lost in thought then Misty finally ask, "Grandpa?" She asks him a few more times and he says, "Oh, I'm sorry. This old man just got to thinking about things from a long time ago" "That's okay. I just want you to finish reading!" "You like it?" "Uh huh, it tells us how to take care of a horsey!" He smiles and continues...

Then he gets to the last line..._'It is all chance for us, but still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name'_

Sherman then closes the book and Misty smiles and says, "Thank you grandpa!" She runs off to play with dolls and go into make believe lands while Sherman fills with pride of his grandfather duty and remembers...

A year after his pop died, his mother had decided that they needed to leave Hannibal, Missouri to the town where his mother grew up, Big Springs, Nebraska.

Sherman didn't want to leave and he remembers the argument that he and his mother had in that last few days in Hannibal in those days, "I don't want to go maw!" "We have to Sherman, I can't take it anymore here!" "I can get another job, I can work like a pack mule in the spring!" His mother gives a kind smile and she says, "I know you can Sherman but that's just it, you shouldn't have to. You are just 7 months into being 11 years old, you should be out having fun...not working like as hard as you are. Now, we're moving back to Big Springs ; my brother is still there and he is a fine Veterinarian there. You can still work...he'll put you to work and you can still help us with the money" He gave one last weak protest by saying, "But maw..."

His mother stands up firmly from the chair and stamps her foot firmly down and says, "Sherman, I've made up my mind. Now, we leave by the end of the week. There will be no more discussion" His mother turns and leaves the room and goes to the bedroom.

A few days later, they stood on the platform and waiting for the train to come, he hears the lonesome whistle that it gives in the background and he gets up and goes to the end of the platform and looks out at the hometown that he has had for 11 years and he says under his breath, "I will be back Hannibal" The train comes up and his mother says, "Come Sherman" He obeys and gets on to go to a unknown town where he only knows his Uncle.

**A/N-I know this song was written in this year and not 1965 when this story takes place but to me, it fits Misty's feelings for her grandpa.**

**'**_**Grandpa, you stood so tall, chewed that red man & wore overalls, were the same man on Sunday mornings as Saturday nights.**_

_**5' 6" to the top of your hair but when you talked about the war, thought you were Superman. American man made with a Southern drawl.**_

_**You walked the walk, talked the talk Grandpa.**_


	4. Chapter 4 The naming of a Pop

Sherman was now 14 years old, he held hard against moving to the growing town of Big Springs but it eventually became his town that he loved just as much but not quite as Hannibal. His Uncle Tommie became as close a father as he ever had and like his mother had said, he went to work at his veterinary office and at first it was little things like keeping the office tidy and running errands around town. Sometimes his uncle would let him go with him out to a farm with him to help with a crusty old cow or bull or horse. He did learn even more about horses, how to take care of them health wise and he remembers one day that he'll never forget.

He was sweeping the office and watching the dirt fall through the cracks on the old wooden floor mostly out of boredom, he was thinking that there is nothing as boring as being in that old animal hospital right now, only good thing was getting to go with his Uncle out to the farms with the horses and cows but that was...just then the door swings open and in walks in Uncle, a tall man like his brother was but that was almost the only thing like them that there was.

Another man was behind him holding a young calf, The man looked to be about 40 something and the calf was a carrying on braying like a stuck mule and another man was behind him, he was dresses in fine city clothes and carrying a medical bag then Tommie Potter says, "Sherman, this is Mitchell Blake and Dr. Gerald Hamilton. The cow belongs to Mitchell, once in a while they bring in a calf or a young cow for me to do some operating on.." Dr. Hamilton then says, "We do that young man in hopes that when we do some research on these animals we can help human beings"

Sherman looks into the young, soft eyes of the little calf and sees that it is begging for help and Sherman asks, "What's wrong with him?" His uncle says, "Look at his ankle" Sherman looks down and sees the puffiness around the hoof then says:

"Poor little fella" Mitchell Blake shakes his head and says, "We've tried the most usual routes to take and nothin' will work, do you think you can help doc?" Tommie shakes his head then says, "Going to give it my best shot Mitchell, just hold tight" Tommie takes the young calf from him then says to Sherman, "You're going to have to help me Sherman, my usual helper Berstein had to stay home with his ailing mother" Sherman shakes his head then says, "Coming!"

Sherman thinks, 'I'm going to help in a operation! Things are looking up!' Sherman throws the old broom against the wall and goes running down the hall to the room that his Uncle uses to do operations.

{

A few days later, Sherman was in a good mood. He was doing more it seemed since the calf operation, his uncle gave him more responsibility and Sherman felt prouder than a horse winning first prize at the fair. That day he was going to the hospital for people, Big Springs Health-wise hospital . It was a much bigger hospital than the one in Hannibal...it actually had two floors! Sherman went in and looked around at the nurses running around, doctors with their charts or conferring with another and he smells the medicine in the hall and somehow he feels right at home for some reason.

He goes up to a large wooden desk and he asks a nurse, "I'm here to see Dr. Hamilton. I got some papers for him" She then says, "Dr. Hamilton's office is down the hall but he might not be in there, he's due to do surgery in 30 minutes" Sherman shakes his head then says, "I understand" He turns and goes down the hall and knocks on the first door that has a sign that says 'Dr. Hamilton' and it opens and there stands Dr. Hamilton and he says..."Oh...Sherman?" "Yes sir, my uncle wanted me to bring these papers over to you" Dr. Hamilton takes the files, opens it and reads it and smiles then says, "Sherman, I've been meaning to talk to you...walk with me, I'm due in surgery in a little bit and I want to talk" Sherman walks right with him and he says, "You were very good helping your Uncle the other day and you are just a good boy all around, you do your duties...how would you like to work around here? Sherman starts to say something but then Dr. Hamilton says, "Oh, I know you still work for your Uncle and I respect that but I just mean for a few days around here...just doing odd and ends"

Sherman smiles and says, "Yes sir! I would like that" "Good, good, I got to go now. You take care of yourself and say hello to your Uncle" "Yes sir" Dr. Hamilton walks on down to surgery and Sherman stands in pride and looks around.

[

Back in the first week of November of 1965, a voice brings Sherman out of his memories...Jerry who was playing cards with them the other night, comes running up and yells, "Walter! Walter!" Radar comes out on the porch, looks around then asks his friend, "What is it Jerry?" "I thought I would come get you and Sunshine if she wants to come see. The house across from me just opened up...the real estate lady is still there if you guys want to come see. Were you serious about moving here?" "Yeah, I guess we better since I took that job at the station" "Well, come on!"

Radar turns around and calls, "Sunshine! Come out here please!" Just then Sherman stands up from the swing and says, "Jerry, could you excuse us please?" "Yeah, sure"

Jerry walks to the end of the walk and Sunshine and Mildred comes out just as Sherman asks Radar , "Um, I would consider it a honor Radar...Walter...if, uh, you would call me 'Pop'. You don't have to if you don't won't to but ..."

Radar looks at Sunshine who smiles and tears are in Mildred's eyes and Radar says, "Why, it would be the best thing to do...Pop" They all smile and cry while Radar and Sherman shake hands and hug then Mildred says, "And you best call me mother" They all laugh and Sunshine says, "We wouldn't have it any other way" Radar then says, "Well, the reason I called you out there is, well, Jerry came over to tell us that the house across from him is up for sale now and well, we can go take a look" Sunshine smiles and says, "Oh, Walter! Let's go see! Our own home!" Radar laughs and says, "We ain't even looked at it yet !" Mildred then says, "Oh hush, all women want there own homes, someplace to put a nail in any place they will see fit!" They all laugh and Radar says, "Come on Pop! let's go see! Jerry, lead the way!"

All five of them go across the street and around the corner to see Radar's new home in Hannibal.

**A/N-Please leave reviews ! That leads me to write the next chapter even quicker !**


	5. Chapter 5 Dark Days

**A/N-Sherman has said in episodes that he lied about his age to get into the cavalry, to me Sherman wouldn't have done that and broke his mother's heart. I might be wrong so I am going a certain way in this chapter. I hope you will enjoy it as much I love writing it.**

A few days later, Sherman, Mildred , Radar and Sunshine all sit around the table with picture albums and photographs all spread out, some where so old they were called 'tin type' photographs, pictures taken on actual tin and several letters and documents.

Mildred picks up a picture and says, "This was my dear sisters Rose and Bertha" Sherman picks up a picture and says, "This was my uncle Ben and Claude, they were born years before my dad and Uncle Tommy" Sunshine then asks, "So you never knew them?" He chuckles then says, "They both lived long enough for me to tell some tales about them, remind me to tell you sometime" Sherman then puts them down and picks up a tin type of two little girls standing beside a old fashioned see saw beside a one room school house and Sherman says, "This was my grandmother Mavis and her sister Grace" Sunshine bends over to look at it closer then asks, "Is that a schoolhouse they are standing next to?" "Yes and from the date on the back of the picture, they had just rebuilt it two years earlier...it was still standing there when I left to go to Big Springs"

He puts down the picture and they look at more pictures and letters then Sherman comes to a particular tin type picture and his eyes go soft then and everybody can see how he is going back in memory and Radar asks, "Who is that Pops?" Sherman then says, "This is my mother, Emma" Mildred then asks, "What ever happened to her Sherman? You never did tell me" He goes quiet and he is silent for a long few minutes and they all look at each other like he is not going to say but then he starts.

"I had been working at the hospital with Dr. Hamilton for nearly a year and part time at my Uncle Tommy's veterinary practice when it happened..." Radar asks, "What?" Sherman looks at him then says, "Something very bad son...something we didn't even see in the war..." A dark, sad feeling enters the room as Sherman tells them.

"It almost seems unreal on some level but it happened and it was most likely the one thing that got me into medicine...we had just finished having supper, most us went out to the porch to get the fresh evening breeze on us...Uncle Tommy, his wife Sandra, my cousin Alice and my aunt Gladys...my mother stayed inside to do the dishes and all of us on the porch had just finished singing a bunch of songs, I think the last song we all sang was, _'She'll be coming around the mountain'_...I think now that was the last time we were happy as a family..."

"My mother came out on the porch pouring with sweat, we all just assumed it was because it was such a hot August evening and being trapped in a hot kitchen with only one window. Even if you opened that window, there would be no breeze...mom was not the complaining type but that night she couldn't help it"

A tall woman with blond hair, blue eyes and smooth features stepped out, she put her hand to her brow and said, "Mercy me, I don't think it has ever got so hot in that kitchen as it is now" Sandra says, "Come on Emma and sit down and join us" She smiles and says, "I do believe I will" Emma sit down in the swing next to her young son and Tommy says, " Let's sing that new song, _'Oh, by Jingo'" _Both Alice and Sherman say, "Yeah!" They start singing, * _'In the land of Sam Domingo lived a girl called Oh by Jingo, ( Ta da, ya da da da da, um-pa, um-pa, um-pa, um, pa)..._

They don't get to sing the rest of the song because of what happens next. Emma says, "I'm sorry, I'm so tired, I can't even sing the rest of the song" Sondra says, "Don't be sorry, you go on and lay down...land sakes, no wonder you need rest, you go around here like chicken with its head cut off! And that's after working at that laundry place!"

Emma smiles and she gets to the screen door and starts to open it when she falls back a bit and says, "Oh, I don't feel good at all!" She starts to fall down but Tommy quickly gets up and catches her and the moment his arms catch her, he feels the heat radiating throughout her body and he says, "Great hot hell!" Sondra stands up and says, "Tommie! There is children present!" Ignoring his wife's protests, he says, "This woman is BURNING up! This isn't any time for politeness! Help me get her in the house!" Alice holds open the screen door and he goes in and while he is taking Emma to her room, he yells over his shoulder, "Get me all the cooling rags you can!"

The women start running around getting everything they can and Sherman stands around dumbfounded.

{

Not a word is heard back in the kitchen of Mildred and Sherman and Radar looks around and gulps then asks, "Wh-at did you find out?" Sherman looks at him and in all serious, says, "Something that I wish I never did" He clears his throat then says, " A few hours later, not even ten o'clock and my Uncle Tommy came running from my mother's room and Sondra follows him and asks, "Where are you going?" He eyes go back to the door to my mother's room then he says, "I'm going to go get Doctor Hamilton...she's got a severe headache...and she's turning blue" Sondra's face turns white and she asks with her heart beating, "W-what, what is it you think?"

He is quiet for a fraction of a second then says, "I don't have any experience with it but...I think it's Spanish Influenza from what I do know" She falls down in the chair behind her and he goes on to get the doctor and Sherman stands in the doorway to the kitchen with a tear running down his face.

{

Mildred and Sunshine cry buckets of tears and Sherman goes on to say, "My mother died during the night and over the next two days, we took my aunt Sondra and Aunt Gladys to the hospital. They also got it and the day Gladys died, we were standing outside of a makeshift hospital on somebody's lawn...the epidemic was so widespread that the hospital couldn't even contain it...I went to my Uncle and he was crying and he said, "Sherman, my last sister died today...I want you and Alice to leave, get away from this death and destruction! Take my daughter and go!" My heart beats faster than a train coming and I ask with a break in my voice, "W-where will we go?" My uncle shakes his head then says, "I don't know, it doesn't really matter, just go with the blessings of God on your soul"

Radar then asks, "What did you do?" Sherman looks at him then says, "What could we do? Alice and I were on the streets just like the children we had heard about who lost families and we have...we walked and stayed and slept in door ways until one day, I came to a poster of men on horses, that attracted me and talked about how men were needed in the Calvary and nurses were also needed. Alice had finished school and she wanted to be a nurse but now we saw no way but now there was a little bit of hope so ...we both joined up...we just didn't know that we left one hell...for another." For the first time since Sherman began, Sunshine asks him, "What happened to Alice?"

Sherman says, "She became a nurse, a damned good one. She was just as good or even better than Margaret Houlihan. She died a few years ago and she's buried next to her husband and father in Big Springs"

Things go silent in the kitchen then Misty comes in quite innocently then goes up to her grandfather with the book, _'Black Beauty' _and she asks, "Grandpa, can we read?"

He turns his head and looks at his little granddaughter and smiles and says, "Sure"

Her face lights up and she takes his hand that is full of age and wisdom and he takes her small but innocent one and they go to the couch and sit down and get comfortable and he opens the book and he says, "Chapter 5-_A fair start'_

Sunshine, Radar and Mildred look at each other and smile through the tears.

**A/N-It's amazing how one moment can be full of life then the next...**

**All of the symptoms of Spanish Influenza is what I read when I looked it up.**

**The flu was named because the majority of the first victims came from Spain so that's why it is so named. This killed more people than the Bubonic plauge ever did in it's three waves.**

**Please send me your reviews please.**

**Sand 'n Sable**


	6. Chapter 6 The 5 friends

**A/N-Thanks to the People's Sgt. for helping me in the Army part of the story that is coming up! I couldn't protray that war acurately if it wasn't for him.**

**Thanks to all my readers, Ultimatelaurafan and everybody who reads this story. This story is in honor of Sherman Potter but it's SO nice that you are reading it! Please keep sending reviews and I love you all!**

It was the next night and Mildred, Sherman, Walter ( Radar ) and Sunshine were gathered around talking and laughing when Misty comes in with her _Black Beauty_ book and she says, "Grandpa, it's time to read!" He looks at her with his twinkling blue eyes and he says, "Well, I didn't think you wanted to read, you wanted until the chickens have roosted"

She laughs and says, "Grandpa! You silly! It's the same time every night!" He chuckles as does everybody else and he starts to get up then his little granddaughter says, "Where are you going?" "Well, to go to your room to read" She protests and says, "NO! I want to stay out here so everybody else can hear!"

Sherman looks at them all and Mildred nods her head and Sherman takes the book and opens it up and reads-"_Chapter 6-Liberty-I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing I missed, it must not be thought that I was discontented; all who had to do with me were good, and I had a light airy stable and the best of food. What more could I want? Why, Liberty!..."_ It wasn't long for him to read that short chapter and Radar says, "Well, aren't you going to finish?" Sherman looks at him then says, "I am. That's the beauty of this book, not only is it about a fine subject matter but the chapters are never very long, besides..." He looks down at the small, sleeping body beside him and he points to her and says, "She's always asleep at the end" They all laugh and Sunshine says, "I'll take her" Sunshine gathers her daughter up in her arms and softly walks her to her room.

She comes back to the living room after a few minutes then sits down and she is jittery and fidgity...Radar notices and he says, "Will you calm down? You're moving around more than Daisy" She asks him, "Who?" He says, "Daisy, my pet mouse in Korea, you're more jumpy than her, even than the time when Major Winchester gave her those pep pills" She looks at him and taps her foot then says, "Are you comparing me to a mouse?" Sherman then says, "Sunshine, he just said you are acting like his mouse, just simmer down...don't get your pistols ready to pop" Radar looks at her then asks her, "Are you jumping all around about the house?"

Sunshine then says, "Aren't you? Walter! They said they would call us in a week and we haven't heard from them!" "Would you calm down? I told you we're going to get it!" "How do you know? Because of your 'radar'?" "Yes, and because we're cleared at the bank here and at home...I got a new job at the station I'm starting Monday so it's all going to be okay"

She flops down on the couch and says, "Hmpf". Radar shakes his head then says, "Pops, last night, uh, you were telling us about you and Alice joing the army...could you tell us some more and maybe that will calm her down some more" He thinks about it then shrugs his shoulders then says, "Well, Alice and I went into the calvary together but we didn't stay together, as soon she got there; they shipped her off to some place to study nursing someplace...I can't recall where she told me but I was sent to Fort Benning. And last night when I said that Alice and I didn't know that we were stepping out of one hell into another, I meant it."

He takes a deep breath and says, "We thought the Spanish Influenza was back home in Nebraska but it was also where we were at, the reason it's called that is the Spanish Influenza claimed a lot of its victims in Spain and our boys came home with it and I was sent to a place that was ten times as worse as it was back home. It was a nightmare but well, I was _needed_ and that was worth a lot" Mildred, Sunshine and Walter all look at each other and Walter gulps but then he hears Sherman say, We did a lot in those first few months, did for the living and the sick...and the dead. It was the only time I saw officers _cry. _When a person dies in war , it's different but when somebody dies of something like that...well...after it looked like things were getting better but worse in the war effort, we were sent overseas"

He takes a sip of his coffee then says, "I meet 3 guys, Ryan O'Donnel, Herman Gianelli, and Mark Stein. Those were the 3 best friends a person could have...Ryan and Herman were already privates when I got there and Mark came there the same reason I did. He had no place else to go but we soon cae to realize that it was the best place we could be. We landed somewhere on the outskirts of Paris at a place that no longer exsists to train. We trained in warfare, how to take care of ourselfeves and our commardes in the fighting and after some days less than a month, they let us out there"

Radar looks around then asks, "What then?" "Well, like I said, there was Ryan, Herman and Mark. We all came over there together and we were determined to stay together in there...then we met somebody...his name was Steve Grestky...he was fighting with the British forces but he somehow got seperated from his unit and just stayed with us...just melded with us..We were all beginning to think that everything we had heard about the war was just that talk. I guess we had come during a dry spell...we were so bored that Steve got a donkey, put a skirt on it and charged the boys a nickel a dance!" They all laugh and Mildred gets up and takes all their coffee cups and takes them to the kitchen and Sunshine says, "Please go on Pops" Sherman takes a breath then says,

"Well, it was a lull in a storm but then a raging tornado hit us! Bombs, sirens, guns, cannons everything was going off...one day we were walking down the streets of France and came to this bombed out building, no telling what it was before, may have been some kind of open resturant like they have over there. Anyway, we were all looking around...carefully knocking things around with our foot and guns, you never know where there is a booby trap. Then we hit the motherload! Sweet nectar of Gods! we found a small case of the finest wine...five bottles and we took it back to this little foxhole we had and after we got drunk on the first bottle that very night. Then a few weeks later on my 16th birthday, we got drunk again! Oh, it was a blast! And since it was my birthday, I got half the bottle!"

They all laugh then Sherman's face falls then tells them...then a few weeks later...Ryan was killed in battle. We all couldn't believe it so we got drunk on the next two but when we got to the last bottle, we made a pledge that whoever is the last one of us to survive would drink that bottle"

Sunshine asks, "What happened to it?" Sherman sighs then says, "I drank in Korea after Radar left because Steve died in Tokoyo"

They all go quiet and Sherman gets up to go to his room and he sees Mildred standing in the doorway and he says, "Goodnight...I'm sure you'll hear about the house tommorow Sunshine"

He leaves and she says, "Who cares about the house? I got my family"

She and Radar hold hands and Mildred comes over and they all hug.

**A/N-I didn't mean to go this deep into this chapter, the words just flowed out.**

**Please read and review.**


	7. Chapter 7 Ginger

**Just throwing a question out there to the readers of this story...should I call Radar by his given name in this story or Radar? I sometimes worry that people won't know who I'm saying if I say Radar ( except for the die hard fans...yah or nay?)**

Walter sees Sherman sitting at the kitchen table reading 'Black Beauty' and he sees him closing the book then making a sad face and shaking his head then Walter walks in and says, "Pops? Are you okay?" Sherman looks at him and semi smiles and says, "Oh, I'm fine, I was just going over the next chapter of the book when Misty and I read it" "Oh" Walter goes over to the refrigerator and gets out a Grape Nehi, pops it open on the opener on the counter then goes and sits down at the table then Sherman asks, "Where's Sunshine?" Walter shrugs his shoulder then says, "She got Mom and then they went down to the general store to get some fabric that she says will be just perfect for the kitchen" He smiles then says, "I'm glad you got the house son"

Walter smiles then says, "I am too...uh, it will just be a few days until our stuff comes down from Iowa, my cousin is packing everything up" Sherman shakes his head then says, "That will be just fine" After a few seconds of silence, Walter then asks "Um, I was wondering...when you were telling us about the war...did you, like, ever meet any of the actual French people over there?" Sherman thinks about that and softly laughs then he says, "I think that radar of yours Radar is working overtime again" Confused, Walter asks, "Sir?"

Sherman then says, "That's what I was thinking about when you came in here, I just didn't want to say right then but...I think I need to tell somebody" "What?" "Well...let's go outside" They get up from the table and go outside and down the steps and Sherman sighs then says, "Well, after Ryan died, everything just seemed...bland...even Steve seemed to slow down on the jokes so one night we were all walking down the streets of Paris and we could see and hear the bombs going off and I may be wrong but it was just so much damned worse than Korea...maybe it was because it was my first war...I don't know..." Sherman and Walter just walk along and Walter considers asking a question but he just lets the man he considers her father , talk.

"Well, we heard a bomb coming and somebody yelled "Incoming!" So we each dived for the nearest fox hole on either side of the street and after hearing a building collapse somewhere in the background and making sure nothing else was coming, we slowly got up, we saw the smoke from the bomb, thick at first but slowly coming apart and going away so we got up and started walking again. We were going back down down street and far down the way we saw a small figure and since it was dark and we could just see the outline of buildings, we didn' t know if it was the enemy or what but the closer we got the more we saw...it was just a small, scared 13 year old girl" Walter's eyes just go wide as saucers and he asks, "Wow, what happened?"

Sherman shrugs his shoulders and says "Just one of the many victims of that war"

He looks around at the cloudy November day then says, "A mite cold today" Walter then asks, "Do you want me to go get your sweater?" Sherman gives a light wave then says, "It's okay, today reminds me of that day...it was just starting to really get cold that time of year and that didn't help matters much...she was just a little thing, with strawberry red hair, light freckles but you could tell the light had gone out in her eyes and her clothes were torn and dirty because of the life she was having." Walter then asks him, "How did she take to you ?" Sherman thinks about it for a second then says, "Well, it wasn't like she was scared of us but..." Walter then says, "Didn't know how to take you?" Sherman shakes his head then says, "Yes and it broke our hearts and we tried to get her to tell us her name but she didn't for quite a while so we thought so we thought she couldn't understand the language or she was mute but a few nights later when I bought her some food I found, she slowly said, 'My name is Ginger', I smiled at her then left her alone for awhile."

Sherman looks up at the sky and the slow, gray passing clouds then he says, "It was Mark who eventually asked her why she was named Ginger? He had never heard the name before and that's when we found out that she had more or less named herself, raised herself and took care of herself for years" Walter's eyes go huge and he softly says, "Wow" Sherman continues his story by telling him, "Her family had died off for years, even before the war and what family she had had more or less made it known that she was on her own so...she wasn't ever really abused, physically or anything like that but..." "She wasn't loved" Says Walter.

Sherman agrees then says, "That says it best and so she went back into her own little world for awhile but then Steve..." Sherman laughs then says, "He was a Scotch boy you know, had the thick accent and all and I don't know how but he found this Scottish kilt in some bombed out home and he surprised her by doing this...Scottish dance that he called _'Dance of the Swords'_ and after that, he wore that darn kilt the rest of the day! She got closer to him but I don't think she still exactly trusted us until she kept seeing us show, I don't know, different acts of kindness to a person here, a child there. A old person that needed a jacket...Herman took off his very own Calvary jacket and gave it to him. Then one day, the sun happened to be out one day and we all stopped to rest under a shade tree" Walter interrupts him with the question, "She just stayed with you all?" "Where else did she have to go?" Walter shakes his head and Sherman continues...

She turned to me and asked, "Why we were so kind? Why were we so kind to these people that we did not know? The boys and I all looked at one another and I said, "Why shouldn't we be? They never did us no harm, the people we showed kindness to were not our enemy" She thought about that then asked me and the other boys were we were from and about our background then she was quiet and she said in a very soft but broken voice, "I see your kindness and I appreciate it but I don't think I shall ever be as kind or nice as you" Young Sherman's eyes grow wide and he asks, "Why not?" She thinks on that then says, "Because I haven't ever had anybody show me kindness until you came. My mum died when I was a baby and I was passed around so quickly that I never had any to really grow up on, I went to a uncle and he didn't do me any harm mind you but all I was to him was a girl to work under his roof but he only saw that I had food to eat to grow strong to do his duties that he was to lazy for and I only stayed under his house for that " Herman asks, "What happened to him?" She shrug her shoulders and says, "I don't really know, one day he went into town to go to a pub and he never came home, I assumed he was just killed in the streets for whatever drink he had and his home was one of the first ones destroyed in the start of the war...I lived for awhile with a group of children but some other children, older they were, just teased us and mocked us for being poor and then one day, we were scattered about and I don't know why"

Sherman then says, "There we were, boys from sixteen to 20 years of age hanging on to every word of a child of the streets but we couldn't stop listening..." Ginger continued, "I remember one day, I was having fun I suppose. In a meadow...I thought I was beside myself when a pair of rough hands grabbed me from behind and he tried to force me..." Ginger hung her head low and said, "I escaped but that was the worst kindness of man that I had been shown and I became something short of a wild child I suppose and I met another man who wanted me to work as nothing like my Uncle. I put my foot down and when he tried more mean ways to get work out of me, I ran away then I met you boys the very night I ran away"

Older Sherman says, "All we could do was look at each other and for the first time since I had known him, Steve was speechless. Herman and Mark didn't know what to say but somehow after that we got to going"

Just then, a black 1965 Chevy drove up and Sunshine gets out and she runs over to her husband and she says, "Oh, you should see the material I got for the kitchen Walter! It's perfect, mom and I are going to go start sewing them together right now!"

Sunshine gives him a peck on the cheek and Mildred gives Sherman a wave and Misty gets out of the car and she sees her grandpa and she says, "Grandpa! let's come read the book!"

Sherman smiles and looks back at Walter and says, "I'll tell you more about Ginger later" He waves at him and goes on to his granddaughter and Walter just stands there thinking about it all.

**A/N-Please send reviews so I will know how I am doing.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	8. Chapter 8 Simmering of a Spice

Sherman was reading _'Black Beauty' _to Misty, he looked at her as she was doing her little best to keep her eyes open and he read, _'After my breaking in," she said, "I was bought by a dealer to match another chesnut horse. For some weeks he drove us together, and then we were sold to a fasionable gentleman,..." _He kept eyeing her to see if she was falling asleep but Misty was a fighter and then he read the words, _"Well," I said, "I think it would be a real shame if you were to bite or kick John or James" _Misty seemed to perk up then when she heard those words and she really paid as close attention as she could to the rest of the story then as soon as he read the last paragraph, _'This was a little joke of John's, he used to say that a regular corse of the Birtwick horse balls would cure almost any vicious horse; these balls, he said, were made up of patience and gentleness, firmness and petting, one pound of each to be mixed up with a half pint of common sense and given to the horse everyday." _

Little Misty closed her eyes and as soon as her head hit her feather pillow, she was asleep. Sherman smiled and gently tucks her in and tip toes out and he usually goes to the bedroom he shares with Mildred but something stops him and he turns and goes to the living roo and he sees Walter.

He sees the worried look on Walter's face and he goes in and sits down in the rocking chair across from the couch and he says, "A penny for your thoughts son"

Walter sighs then says, "I just got a lot on my mind sir" Sherman shakes his head then says, "Ginger?" Walter shakes his head yes then says, "I can't help it, she just stays on my mind" Sherman then says, "You always did have a soft spot for the children, well, let me tell you, things did get better for Ginger, it just took awhile..." He shifts around in his chair and Walter perks up and Sherman tells him the story.

"Well, at nighttimes, the boys and I would stay in a foxhole while Ginger stayed in a nearby bombed out hotel. Every morning I would get up and go check on her...we all kind of took on a big brother feel on her. Well, I went to her 'room' which was really a floor with no walls, the slight breeze coming did feel good that morning but I had a feeling of gloom but I thought it was because we were in a middle of the biggest nightmares a person could ever have but I noticed that she didn't move and Ginger snapped at attention quicker than a whole room full of soldiers at dawn, she had trained herself that way...for her surival he told us" He stops for a moment t o gather his thoughts then Walter asks, "What happened?" "Well, the closer I got to her the more I noticed her face was drenched with sweat. My heart got to beating like a drum and when I got to her bed, I felt her hot as hades and a flashback to my blessed mother and I yelled, "Hot Holy Hell!"

The boys come running and Mark asks, "What?" I didn't even look at the boys, I just yelled, "She's burning up!" Mark runs over there and puts down his gun and checks her and Sherman asks, "It's not that Spanish flu is it?" Mark checks her other symptoms then says, "I don't think so but let's watch her for awhile on the other symptoms. All we can do is the best we can for now" Herman then says, "I'll go get the best we can to cool her down, find some cooling rags and what ice we can" "Good idea" Herman looks at Steve and says, "Come on" "Aye, I'm coming"

Back in the Potter's living room, Walter asks, "I thought you said things were getting better for her" Sherman then says, "Just hold on , let me tell you"

Herman and Steve were bringing in ice they have found someplace and putting it around and on Ginger's hot body along with as much cooling rags as they can find then Mark says, "I don't think it's the Spanish flu, I saw as much as I can stand back home and I don't think it's that but..." "What?" Mark looked at me and all the boys then says, "Boys, we are going to have to get back to the war, what we were sent over here for...we can't stay with her" They all look in worry and Mark says, "We need to find someone to take care of her" Herman asks, "Who?"

Sherman looks at the young girl with ice covering her body and he says, "I know...stay here" The boys look at each other and watch Sherman leave.

A hour or two, young Sherman comes back with a nun. A kind woman in her late 40's, she looks around the room and sees the young child and she goes to her and Sherman tells his buddies, "This is Sister Marie, she runs a orphanange just outside of Paris...I bought her here to help us with Ginger"

Older Sherman then tells Walter, "See, Sister Marie ran a orphanange like Sister Theresa back in Korea, the boys and I had been thinking about getting her in there but we just hated to really, she was like a little sister to us but we didn't have no choice..."

Back in his memories, he continues the story, "Sister Marie had a very strong French accent but we were able to understand what she told us after checking out Ginger, "I must thank you for taking care of her and coming to get me to take care of little madamioselle" Young Sherman asks, "What is it?"

The nun goes to her and says, "It is what you call mumps, see how her glands is growing here?" Sherman feels her growing glands in her throat and her swelling of her cheeks and he says, "I'll be damned...er, excuse me Sister"

The nun smiles sweetly then says, "You are excused...she is too weak to move now but when she gathers strength, I would like to move her to orphanage" They shake their heads then Mark comes over to Sherman and says, "Word came when you were getting the sister here, we are to go to Chantilly" Sherman asks, "Where's that?" "A city in northern France" "Should we go now?" Mark looks outside then says, "It's just about two o'clock, Ginger's taken care of , we should be there by nightfall" Steve then says, "I wish she was awake to say goodbye" "She'll understand...please tell her for us Sister" "I will, thank you boys"

Sherman then says, "Each one of us threw a kiss of hope to her and we turned and left"

Walter then asks, "That was the last you saw of her?" Sherman shakes his head no then says, "No, it wasn't...but it was a quite a journey getting back to her" He laughs and says, "When the boys and I left, the sun was shining mind you, a bright and pretty day...brighter than a newly shined nickel! But it didn't last...a hour or two later just as we were rounding the corner to that little town, it began to rain and it wasn't just a drop or two or even thirty! It poured! It poured so hard that we were all beginning to wonder when the ark was going to be built!"

"There wasn't any shelters for us to get into, only a foxhole, there was dozens of them so we all jumped into the first one we saw and it never did get over our heads but well, we sat in there all night, just hunckered down...just like roosters in a hen house and all we could think about was what was going back in gay Paree"

Walter then says, "Wow, what happened after that?" "Well, there wasn't much we could do so we just sat there, had to and over the next few days, I got a bad case of...the keister itch" Walter smiles and Sherman says, "Wasn't much I could do, it wasn't like a soldier having a case of the fires of hades on his seat was worse than a soldier with a hole in his chest or stomach so I just had to live it out and do the best I could"

Sherman gets up and so does Walter and they go into the kitchen and they both get a cup of coffee and Sherman continues the story, "Well, the war was winding down but we didn't know that, it wasn't as easy to get messages as it was in Korea back then...so we just went to Paris as much as we could to see about Ginger, she was doing better so much better, in fact she gave Sister Theresa enough fits to wear the poor woman out" Walter started laughing and asked, "She didn't like being at the orphanange?" Sherman takes a sip then says, "Not in the least, I guess she had been on her own for so long that living under rules with a bunch of nuns and having extra bunkmates didn't set well with her and Sister Theresa told us that after she got over the mumps, she had Ginger take her first bath in months, maybe even a few years and well, it was like giving a wildcat a bath in the river!" Sherman can't help but laugh as he tells it, "From what the dear lady told us, she literlly had to stay with Ginger for months to get her to bathe decently...poor lady should've had a momoument made for her."

"Last time we all saw her, she had simmered down some...there had come a outbreak of a stomach virus at the orphanege and she was needed...I guess that what was all that was needed...someone for her to take care of...we last saw her soothing the face of a child"

Walter then says, "Gee, that's neat" Sherman shakes his head then says, "I'll tell you some more later but we best get to bed now"

Walter shakes his head and says, "Good night". Walter turns and goes down the hall and Sherman finishes his coffee.


	9. Chapter 9 Old and new Friends

**A/N-I have be requested to make when Sherman tells his stories easier to tell in the story so from now on Sherman will tell his memories in italics.**

**I'm hoping this chapter will be more fun loving, please let me know what you think.**

One fine November morning, the Potter and the O'Rielly's were out on the porch singing**'Skip to the Lou, Skip to the Lou, Skip to the Lou, Skip to the Lou my darling! flies in the buttermilk, flies in the buttermilk,flies in the buttermilk,shoo fly shoo. Skip to the Lou my darlin'!' **They all laugh when they finish then Mildred says, "Oh! I need to go make a Thanksgiving list!" Sherman asks, "What?" She expains, "I need to go make a list of all the people to invite over for thanksgiving!" "Can't that wait until moring?" "Goodness, no! it's only 3 weeks until then, we really should have done it earlier!"

She gets up and goes in the house and Sunshine says, "I better go help her and I'll make us a nice glass of lemonade to drink" Walter and Sherman laugh and Misty asks, "What are we laughing at?" Sherman laughs and lovingly pets his daughter then says, "Never mind honey, you'll understand when you get older" Walter then calmly says, "Company's coming" A few minutes later, a teenage boy wearing yellow pants and a tie dyed lemon yellow and white shirt and a fringed brown leather vest comes up and he says, "Hello all" Walter smiles and says, "Hello Myron" "That's me, Myron T. Brone...hello Mr. Potter sir. Misty" She waves to him and he says, "I just came over to see if you needed anything done, you need anything done Mister Potter...Walter?" Walter shakes his head and says, "No Myron" Myron looks over at Sherman and he says, "Not now" Misty speaks up and says, "I need someone to play with" Myron's face lights up and he says, "You do? Well, what do you want to play?" She shrugs her shoulders and says, "I don't know, just come on" She gets his hand and takes him off and Sherman says, "You know who that boy reminds me of? That boy on the _Andy Griffith_ show" Walter then says, "Who? Goober?"

Sherman says, "He's okay, a good person at heart" Walter goes over and sits down in the swing then asks, "Um, I was wondering, how were your friends after the war?" Sherman thinks about it then says, _'Well, the war was over before we knew it...we were grateful but it was still a surprise, Well, Steve was sent back to the British forces and stayed in Scotland until WW2. Like in Korea, those last days was taking things down and getting things ready to go back to the states. I was one of the ones elected to help rounding up the horses and taking them to shipping. It really didn't feel like working, I loved doing that."_

_"Things were different back then and when I finally got back home, I was out of a job. The Army wasn't like today, it coudn't afford all those service men so...there I was nearly 17 years old and out of a job so I did what I always wanted to do, I went back to Hannibal. I was footloose, all by myself and I loved it or thought I did. I wasn't in any hurry to do anything and I didn't plan on it I had settled in at the local hotel that I remembered and the lady did hire me to do some repairs that hadn't been done in awhile because of the war and that made me happy. One day after work I decided to go walking around town and I came across the old homestead. My first home where I lived before my dad place was pretty run down and you could tell that people have been scavaging for the wood and I started to leave when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I coudn't belive it. I had heard rumors of wild horses in town but I never dreamed..."_

Walter sees how Sherman goes off in thought and tears come to his eyes then he softly asks, "What was it?" Sherman gets a handkerchief out and wipes his eyes and blows his nose and says, _"It was Luke...my first horse, the one that my dad gave me all those years ago. See, we couldn't sell him...folks wasn't too interested in buying a horse back then, times were hard. And after the shock wore off, I tried to get him but he was a mite skiddish but it was like...he remembered me so for the rest of the night, that whole night, I rode him"_

He then laughs and says, _"Mrs. Deen, the lady who operated the hotel where I was staying at was a mite upset with me when I finally came home the next morning but I was excited."_

Walter's eyes then go wide and he asks, "What did you do with Luke? You did't exactly have a home to leave him at" Sherman smiles then says, _"I just did what any Missouri mule would do, I got stubborn, fixed the place up even tho everybody kept telling me I coudln't, I even fixed up a right fine coral for Luke and I went riding every chance I got then one day I got a letter from my friend Mark. He went back to New York and I was reading about his time in life and I was riding Luke and having the time of my life. Just reading and feeling the breeze on me. I was feeling like a kite in the high breeze! But...ha, I wasn't paying attention. It had been raining for a few days so to say there was a few mud puddles around was like saying there was a few drops of water in the ocean._

_Luke was walking down the middle of the street when he walked through a mud puddle and I could hear the mud splashing out and it hit somebody. I heard a 'Well, I never!'_

_I looked up from my letter to see that Luke had splashed mud on a lady who had just come from a ladies meeting and she had on her finiest that just hd mud all over it"_

Walter then asks, "Wow, who was she? Is she still around?" Sherman shakes his head and says, "Yes, she's in the kitchen making a Thanksgiving list with your wife"

Walter laughs and the ladies come out with a pitcher of lemonade and 4 glasses and Sunshine asks, "Where's Misty?" Walter says, "Oh, Myron came over and they are playing" "Oh" She puts down the lemonade and Sherman says, "What have you got there Mildred?" "Oh, it's the Thanksgiving list, people to invite...let's see, Hawkeye and Margaret, you think they will come?" Walter says, "Sure, can't keep them away besides, they can pick out a ring down here" "Fine, B.J. and Peg...they already called and confirmed, Max? anybody heard from him?" Walter says, "I finally got through, he's still grieveing over Soon Li's death, I convinced him this will be best for him" Sherman asks, "The good padre?" "He can't wait to come" Sunshine asks, "Charles?" Sherman and Walter groan and Sunshine says, "You two hush! You know you want him!" "It will probaly be another excuse this year not to come" "Well, it's only polite to ask" Sherman starts to ask, "What about?..."

Just then Myron and Misty come up and he says, "Goodnight Misty, see you tommorow" "Bye Myron" She waves then says, "Grandpa, can you read me the book?" "Are you sure you want to?"

She firmly shakes her head and Sherman picks up the book and says, "Chapter 9-_Merrylegs"_

The whole family settles in to listen to the little chapter.

**Sand n' Sable**


	10. Chapter 10 A Talk on the Porch

"Sherman, Mildred , Walter and Sunshine were listening to Sherman read _'Black Beauty'_ to Misty who was snuggled in beside him and he was reading the last paragraph of the book,_ 'Merry legs could not be resisted, so we broke off our long conversation, and got up our spirits by muching on some very sweet apples which lay scattered on the grass.' _He then closes the book and young Misty looks up at him with all the love of a granddaughter and she says, "Thank you grandpa!" She gets down and runs down the steps and around to the back of the house and when she is out of sight, Sunshine says, "I'll need to put her in school soon" Mildred says, "Oh, do you have to?" Sherman says in shock to that, "Mother!" "Well, I'll miss her during the day" He smiles and says, "I know, I will too , I'm just surprised you said it!" They all laugh then he says, "You might as well wait until after Thanksgiving so she can be here with all the children that's going to be here durning the day" Sunshine and Walter shake their heads in agreement then Sunshine asks, "What and whose kids will be here since I only met some of these friends of yours and Walters one or two times" Sherman thinks then says, "Well, it seems like B.J. made up for lost time with Peg when he got home from the war and they had a child about every other year! They have twins Misty's age" They all laugh then Walter says, "Soon-Li had a baby before she died so there's Klinger's daughter" Mildred says, "Thank God for that"

Sherman then says, "Margaret and Hawkeye's baby should be born around the time they come..." He shakes his head then says, "I don't know why they waited so long to get married" Walter speacks up then says, "I know why" Sherman looks at him then asks, "Why?" "For you to give her away" Sherman smiles then asks, "Then why wait so long?" Walter shrugs his shoulders then says, "Who knows? This is Major Margart Houlihan and Hawkeye, you tell me and we'll both know" They all laugh and Sunshine asks, "Charles never did have any children, did he?" Walter then says, "No and he never will" She asks, "Why?" "Because...he's...that way" "What?" Sherman then says, "Oh horse hockey, it doesn't matter and it never will " "I know, I was just surprised, I have a uncle who's that way" Walter asks, "You do?" "Yes and he's the best" All of the alduts go silent for a bit then Walter asks, "Pop, I never asked you, why did you become a doctor? What made you decide on that for a career?"

Sheman looks at Mildred at smiles then says, "It's because of that little lady" He points to Mildred and Walter smiles and says, "What?" Sherman then says, "Well, not solely because of her but her father sure helped me along, I'll explain it..._like I told you earlier Radar, I met Mildred riding Luke. I wasn't paying attention to anybody around me, just reading my friend's letter and I heard her yell and I quickly relaized my wrongful actions and I got down and apologized. It took a bit of doing but I got her to forgive me and after a few months, I tore her down to go out with me" _Mildred leans over to Sunshine and says, "My sisters begged me to go out with him so he would quit coming around" Sunshine snickers and Walter smiles but tries to hide it with a swipe of his hand across his mouth and Sherman just shakes his head and goes on.

_"That may have been why we started going out but after a few months we could tell that things were getting serious with both of us so she bought me to meet her parents, Gary and Brenda Moore...the first time I went to go meet them, I was more nervous than a newborn pup leaving his mother...I went up to the door with a handful of wildflowers for her mother so after clearing my throught for the upteenth time, I knocked on the door. Mister Moore answered the door and suddenly my feet were nailed to the floor...when he asked me to come in, I had to force my feet to move, I felt like a man just starting to walk...sweat was pouring down me faster than it does on a man in the war. _

_I decided right then and there that I would rather be back fighting in a foxhole in France than be there on that porch but I had to do it. I went in and sat down...I was sure everybody in the room could hear my heartbeat and went Mrs. Moore came in the room, I stood up and like a robot, gave her the wildflowers, she said thank you and I mumbled something will I sat down and her father just happened to get out a shiny jackknife and started whitling, Mrs. Moore said something so he motioned for me to follow him back out on to the porch so I did, I sat down and nothing was spoken for the longest time but then he finally started asking me questions..." Mister Garry Moore starts asking asking a young Sherman Potter questions...So, you like going out with my daughter young man?_

_I managed to stutter out, "Y-Y-Y-Yes sir, I enjoy your daughter's company v-very much sir" "So why is it that you haven't been out here before?" "Well,s-s-ss ir, I don't think she thought it was best" Mister Moore leans in then says, "So, it was her fault?" "No sir! it's just that well, she, she just didn't, well, things were shaky with us in the beginning when we met, I wasn't paying attention and my horse splashed her with mud" "Oh yes, I remember that...her mother worked for weeks making that outfit and she still hasn't been able to get it all clean" "Oh, um, I'm s-s-sorry sir...it, it was a accident..." "Be quiet" "Yes sir"_

_Mister Moore sits back and looks at Sherman and one could almost see a faint hint of a smile but he gets tough again then says, "Mildred says you say you are a carpenter" "Yes sir, I'm helping Mrs. Deen fix up the old hotel in town, she hasn't been able to do anything in years" "That's a fine occupation..." "Yes sir, it was our Lord's occupation..." "I wasn't finished talking" "Oh, sorry sir" Mister Moore then continues, "Yes, it was Jesus's occupation but there's other fine ones out there...I'm afraid Mildred is used to a few of the finer things in life than a carpenter could give her, are you thinking on anything else for your life?" "Well, sir, I, I haven't given it much thought, I just came home from France last year and spent this year getting my life pretty much in the shape it is now which is a whole lot better than at this time last year" Garry raises his eyebrow and says with new found respect in his voice, "You were in the war?" "Um, yes sir" "You were awful young to be in there" "Yes sir, lied about my age to get in, most of my family died from the influenza and my cousin and I were just wondering the streets and starving...being in the calvary saved our lives" "Well, back to now, do you have any plans to do anything else with your life? " "Well, no sir, like I said, I never really thought of it"_

_Garry takes a loooooonnnng minute to answer and says in a slow Missouri drawl, "Well, I would get to thinking" "Y-Yes sir...I, I did work with my uncle in a vet hospital and in a regular one and that did give me a feeling of working in medicine but I don't know if I would be good at it" "Well, all one can do is try it" "Yes sir" _

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman then says, "Well, it did give me a lot to think about but I didn't make the decision then to go into medicine then" Walter asks, "So what did?" "Well..."

**Back in 1920-**

_"I was working at the hotel, Mrs. Deen's 'Sleep tight' hotel and I was rebulding the back porch and she had hired somebody to repaint. It was a beautiful day and I was steadily working and thinking about Mildred then all of a sudden, I heard this scream, I threw my hammer down and went running; I ran around the corner and I saw my friend who was painting the hotel. Mrs. Deen came running out...I got to Adam and he was withering in pain and soemthing told me that it was more than just a fall and I knew it when I went to go pick up his arm..." Walter then asks, "It was broken?" Sherman shakes his head then says, "No, someone had left a garden rake out there and he fell on it. I looked up at Mrs. Deen and her face was as white as fallen ash...well, I knew what needed to be done, I raised him up slightly and pulled it out then quickly went and pulled one of the sheets he had on his scaffold and had Mrs. Deen rip them up into shreads for me to tie around his arm. Then we got him into a neighbor's truck and rushed him to the nearest hospital._

_I know I didn't do much for the boy but the doctors later told my friend that it was my quick thinking that saved his life...I liked that feeling it gave me to help a person like that so I began to think harder about it, checked out a local college...and got myself into it._

**Back in 1965-**

Walter then asks, "When was it you two got married?" Sherman reaches over for a bowl of apples beside the swing and hands them to Walter and says, "Oh, let's save that story for another time, let's have a snack" Walter smiles and gets the red, delicious sweet apple, hands the bowl to Sunshine who gets on and she passes it to Mildred who also gets one and they all eat and enjoy the day.

_Merrylegs could not be resisted, so we broke off our long conversation, and got up our spirits by muching on some very sweet apples which lay scattered on the grass._

**A/N-I started with this paragraph from the book and could not resist ending with it.**

**I am not sure what Mildred's surname was on the show, I could not find it. If you recall, please tell me.**

**If I can, I will be putting this story in the regular M*A*S*H section.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	11. Chapter 11 America the Beautiful

**A/N-If I make any mistakes in regualations of the Army/National Guard, I ask forgiveness in advance.**

Walter and Sherman are standing at the flagpole at the end of the sidewalk on the right side, Walter is running the flagpole up while Sherman watches and Misty comes out and looks at what they are doing and goes up to them and asks, "What are you doing grandpa?" Sherman looks down at her and smiles and says, "We're putting the flag up honey" She looks at the red, white and blue flag going up and stopping at half mast and she says, "You didn't have it go all the way daddy, you stopped" Walter smiles and says, "It's not supposed to go all the way honey, it's called half-mast" "Oh, why?" Sherman then says, "Because a very important man died and the governor ordered it" That satisfies her little curious mind and she watches her daddy and Sherman give a salute then Sherman and Walter go off to sit on the porch and Sherman says, "I don't know why but that reminds me of the first funeral I went to after the war" Walter turns and asks him, "It does? why?" Sherman shrugs his shoulders and says, "I don't know, I suppose it it because that flag represents everybody who died for it..._after I met with her father, Mildred and I were still going together, I had found a local college to go to, I was going for a medical degree. I felt my life was moving in a right direction and I couldn't be happier than a young boy fishing in a nearby creek with the woman he loves and things moving in a right direction but I felt something was wrong but I didn't know what. Anyway, one day Mildred and I were walking down the mainstreet of Hanniball when we heard this music...slow church music and we looked down the street and we saw it...the local church choir coming down the road then I remembered what I had read in the paper, a local hero, Sgt. Major Ronald Butts, he was in the civil war, negro division. You see, it was hypocrisy, one of the reasons for that war was to free the slaves but they had to form their own division just to fight for their country. There was a lot of damn stupid idiots born back then! Never could figure out that way of thinking and I quit a long time ago, anyway, Ronald Butts did a lot for the negros back then and so he even did more as the years went on, he and the governor were so close that some said they might as well have come from the same womb so it was no surprise that he was honored in that way, may have shocked a lot of people but he didn't give a flying flapjack care of a damn!' _Sherman and Walter laugh, then Sherman continues:

_'Well, I told Mildred and we continued walking down the street to the little church where they were having the funeral...there was such beautiful singing of songs of the soul that I still get a shiver down my spine thinking of them and since it was such a small church, they had speakers outside...one of the speakers was some kind of worker with Major Butts, I don't know what, can't recall but he spoke about the man's patriotism, his love for country and man that I looked at Mildred and made my decision...a few days later I rode my horse over to the nearby town and signed up for the National Guard.'_ Walter then asks, "You were in the guard sir?" "Sure was, the army back then wasn't like it is today, thay had to scale back after the war and a lot of men were discharged so...anyway, it was only a few times a year, I got some good extra money on the side to help with being in college and working as a carpenter and when I told Mildred's father what I was doing, I think it was the first time I saw that man smile at me with respect, I wouldn't have changed that for the world, that was when I found out something" "What?" "Mildred's father, he was a officer in WW 1, I didn't know it but he was honorably discharged, he was hit by mortar in the eye and he was legally blind , it seemed like a connection was growing between us, Mildred was beaming like a wildflower in the new day sun as she saw her two men getting closer and closer. One day he started telling me stories of himself as a officer and how to treat the men with respect but I don't know why I paid attention, I wasn't planning on being no officer" Sherman and Walter laugh again at that when they hear little Misty coming around the corner of the house and she sings her little girl version of _'America, the Beautiful' _

_'America, the beautiful...great big waves of play...purple mountains...how great to see you play!'_

Sherman and Walter can't help but share the laughter in hearing that without hurting little Misty's feelings. She then runs up to her grandpa and says, "Let's go read a book!" "What? Twice in one day?" "Yes, it's a great book!" Sherman smiles and they go off to read the next chapter of Black Beauty. Walter just basks in the memories.

**A/N-In my research, there was a negro division. My hero, Ronald Butts, is named after a real friend, I didn't intend for my hero to be black just because my friend is but he inspired me!**

**Please R & R.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	12. Chapter 12 Storms

**A/N-I don't kow if anybody guessed it but in my earleir chapters, there was some neighbors of Sherman that I used in a poker game and the one that showed Walter his house. They were Rob and Jerry from the Dick Van Dyke show...or thin copies of them. Just wanted to have some fun and they may show up again! You'll never know.**

A few nights later, Sunshine and Walter stand in their new kitchen , she's putting up her new beautiful sunshine yellow curtains and she turns around beaming to Walter and on the floor is a picnic setting and two chairs right beside the picnic and Sherman and Mildred come in and Sherman asks,

"What's this?" He points to the picnic on the floor then Sunshine says, "Well, the furniture comes tomorrow but I thought it would be nice to have a picnic like this tonight with all of us" Sherman smiles then says,

"Hey, that sounds great!" Then he points to the chairs and asks,

"What's this?" Sunshine looks at Walter and he looks around and Sunshine clears her throat then says,

"Well, we bought those chairs from your house to make things more comfortable for you"

His face turns angry red then he explodes, "Cow cookies!"

Mildred walks over to Sunshine and puts her arms around her to help her hold in the tears and Sherman says,

"I may be old but I can still sit on the floor and have a picnic!" Walter then says, "Pop, Sunshine didn't mean anything, she just thought it would help"

He softens his face then says,

"I know it's just that, I don't need a chair like a dodderling old fool"

Mildred then smooths down Sunshine's hair then says, "Let's just sit down in Sunshine's new kitchen and have our picnic"

They sit down and eat fried chicken, potato salad and fresh grown corn with lemonade for drinks and the rest of the meal is set in loving friendship and growning relationships and Sherman asks,

"You said the furniture will be delivered tomorrow?"

Walter shakes his head and takes a drink of lemonade then says, "Yes, Jerry and Rob said they would help us with the furniture"

Sherman nods his head then says, "Good neighbors"

Just then little drops of rain come down on the window and they look at them and Mildred says, "Oh, it's raining"

Sunshine looks at the raindrops and with concern in her voice, she says, "Yes, I just hope it doesn't..."

Just then they hear a gigantic boom ( thunder ) and they hear Misty come running down the all and she is crying and when she sees her grandfather, she cries out, "Grandpa!"

She runs and falls in his arms and he pats her gently and smooths down her hair and he says,

"Shhhhh, It's okay Misty, hey, let's do something to pass the time so that storm will pass more quickly?" She wipes her little tears away then asks, "Like what?" He thinks on it then says,

"Well, we can read _'Black Beauty'_ I think Beauty goes through something like this, a storm, you want to read how he does it?"

Another huge clap of thunder comes and she puts her head on his chest then when it stops, she says, "C-c-can we grandpa?" He smiles then says, "Sure we can, where's the book Sunshine?"

She smiles and says, "It's in the side of the chair"

He signals for Misty to get up and he gets in the chair and gets the book and he gets in his lap and he looks up at Sunshine and says,

"It'll be easier for her up here" He winks and Sunshine giggles. Walter smiles and the whole family settles in for a read of a good chapter of _'Black Beauty'_

_'One day late in the autumn,... _Sunshine refills everybody's glass of lemonade as they listen to the story with every bit of interest that Misty has,

_'...There had been a great deal of rain, and now the wind was very high, and blew the dry leaves across the road in a shower. We went merrily along till we came to the toll bar and the low, wooden bridge. The river banks were rather high, and the bridge, instead of rising, went across just level, so that in the middle, if the river was full, the water would be nearly up to the woodwork and planks..."_

Young Misty was listening to every word that her grandfather was reading from the book and even though the thunder was still coming , she was only flinching.

_'The man at the gate said the river was rising fast, and he feared it wold be a bad night. Many of the meadows were under water, and in one low part of the road the water was halfway up to my knees...'_

She then says in anticipation, "What happens to Black Beauty?"

He smiles then says, "Hold your reigns in and we'll find out"

_'The wind was then much higher, and I heard the master say to John that he had never been out in such a storm: and so I thought, as we went along the skirts of a wood, where the great branches were swaying about like little twigs and the rushing sound was terrible'_

It is almost like everybody in the room takes a deep breath to hear the next words that Sherman reads from Beauty's master and John then he reads,

_'The words were scarely out of his mouth when there was a groan and a crack and a spliting sound and tearing, crashing down among the other trees came a oak, torn up by the roots and it fell right across the road before us. I will never say that I was not frightened, for I was. I stopped still, and I believe I trembled; of coarse I did not turn or run away, I was not bought up to do that._

The more words that Sherman read the more quiet the room got, everyone was so involved in the book and to Misty the storm that was about her house was gone because of her grandfather's words from a childhood book.

_'So back we went and round by the crossroads, but by the time we got to the bridge it was very nearly dark. We could just see that the water was over the middle of it; but as that happened sometimes when the floods were out, master did not stop. We were going at a good pace, but the moment my feet touched the first part of the bridge, I felt sure there was something wrong. I dare not go forward, and I made a dead stop."_

Sherman looked up and saw that the storm had stopped but he knew that if he quit reading the tears would flow and the way the rest of his family was acting, he would get booed out of the house for sure so he read some more then he came to the words,

_'The bridge is broken in the middle, and part of it is carried away: if you come on you'll be in the river' 'Thank God!' said my master. 'You beauty!' Said John..._

Collective sighs were made and Sherman read the rest of the book then when he finally finished the chapter, Misty gave him a huge hug and she says,

"Thanks Grandpa! I love you!"

He then taps on her little shoulders and says, "Look"

She looks up at the kitchen window and sees that the storm has passed and she squeals then says,

"You were right Grandpa! The storm has gone away!"

She hugs him and happily runs to her room and they all laugh with the happiness of the moment then Sherman asks,

"Now, would you like to hear a real storm of a story?"

Mildred asks him perplexed as she cuts a piece of chocolate cake that Sunshine has made for the picnic and hands it around the 'table' of sorts then he says,

"Well, reading her that story about the storm that Beauty went though, I couldn't help but remember the bad storm that I went thorough the first few days I was in college" Walter picks up his chocolate cake and cuts into it and asks, "What happened?"

Sherman gives out a sigh then picks up his untouched lemonade then sits back, takes a sip then tells them,

_"Well, I started college early one week and things were going rather good and more smoothly than I thought then a few more weeks later we realized that the work was getting harder. I had made a few friends there but nothing like the friends I had in those dark days of the war but...they were good men, even if they were stupid as potato sacks in the beginning..." _

They all laugh and Walter asks him after taking a drink of cool lemonade,

"Why, what did they do?"

Sherman laughs then says, "Well, nothing out of the ordinary but that first few weeks, they weren't so bright, there was four of them...Alvin, Emmet, Bucky and Mitch. One day we were all sitting around in the gym..."

_The guys and I were laughing then Mitch gets up and get something out of the top of his locker, a small bottle of Gin. I was fixing to go to my room, small as it was, but it was a place to escape and study. Mitch saw me and asked, 'Hey, Sherman, where you going?' I looked at Alvin and said, 'I'm going to my room, I'm going to study these books for awhile then go to bed, I'm beat'_

_He got that bottle down and showed it proudly to all the guys and said, 'Why don't you stay and get some of this? This will help you relax'_

_Sherman then tells Mitch, 'Nah, I'm not in the mood. I'm going on, night boys'. Mitch just couldn't help himself but give one last plea to get me to drink with him...wasn't sure why I didn't take that drink but something told me not to so I just straightened my back and said, 'I said 'No' dammit and I mean it! I'll see all you boys in the morning'_

_I looked at my friend Alvin who became my best friend in those days and he had respect in his eyes so he smiled and nodded his head and the other guys said 'Night' and so I left. I think Mitch was left standing in shock and awe, I don't know, didn't care. Anyway, I went to my room like I said and I studied for a few hours but then finally went to bed. I could hear the wind blowing outside that sounded like a witch crying for a spell but I was so tired that I didn't care, I just flopped myself in the bed tired to the bone and for a few hours I got some peaceful sleep but I woke up to a whirling nightmare!_

_A tree limb hits my window, it didn't break it but it did give it a good crack. I got up and ran over to the window and looked down and it was like watching swirling water! Except it was limbs, leaves, rocks and such! I then heard a big crash and a female scream, so without even thinking, I ran, opened my door and looked and the scream was coming down the hall...it was a girl named Elvie I think, she was studying to be a nurse, that's why I knew her. The tree had come through her window and scraped her bad on the arm._

_Alvin came and helped me get the falling branches on her arm and we got her to safely in the hall. There was more screams and a few more rescues and on the last one, I fell and twisted my ankle pretty bad so in the morning, I found myself in the campus hospital...I guess you could say I had become a living guinea pig!'_

They all laugh then Sherman says, "After that, I had found respect from everybody ! It sure helped with Mildred's father a whole lot! And when they took my picture for the paper, I got connected with family that I had forgot all about...my only aunt and uncle from my dad's side."

Mildred then says, "I had nearly forgot, I don't think my father ever forgot about it though. He was proud of you until the day he died Sherman"

He beams and Walter and Sunshine look at each other and Walter beams with pride at Sherman.

**A/N-I was trying out a new writing format, some of my reviewers were saying they were having a hard time reading...please tell me if it is good...yay or nay?**

**Sand n' Sable**


	13. Chapter 13 Devil of a Time

It was the next morning and Sherman was sitting in front of his black and white televison set and a news flash came on and a televison reporter says, "This is Benjamin Booth with a important update on the war in Vietnam. The 1st Air Force Calvary Division just fought the first major battle in the country, battle of Ia Drang. And for futher news..."

Walter and Mildred stand in the doorway to the living room and Mildred whispers, " I know he has the Army in his blood but I don't like the way he just constantly sits and watches for any little thing on the war"

Walter sees out of the corner of his eye, his daughter coming down the hall with her 'Black Beauty' book in her little grasp and he whispers to Mildred,

"I don't think you'll have to worry long"

He points to Misty and Mildred smiles then watches Misty as she walks in and goes straight for the couch, sits down and says,

"Grandpa, can you read the next chapter?"

He turns his head and looks at Misty and smiles and says, "Sure". He starts to get up to turn down the volume on the set but Walter says,

"I'll get it Pops"

Walter turns it down then Sherman opens the book and says,

_"' Chapter 13-The Devil's Trademark"_

Sherman then starts reading then when he gets to the last word of the chapter, _'are',_ Misty then stands up and she says,

"I didn't like that one very much grandpa"

She turns and leaves in her little huff and he chuckles and gets up to go turn the knob on the television set back on and Mildred touches Walter's hand and he quickly clears his throat then asks,

"Oh, uh, pop...you were going to tell us about meeting your aunt and uncle last night but you never did get around to it, can you tell us now?"

You can tell he is thinking about not doing it when Mildred then speaks up and says,

"Yes, Sherman, tell us, I never did get to meet them"

Sherman sits down back on the couch, Mildred goes to sit at the other end and Walter in a chair then he says,

"Just be thankful you didn't...your father did and I take it he never spoke of them?"

She shakes her head then he continues to say,

"Mildred, Walter, I hate to speak ill of the dead and of my own kin but he was like that black end nickel that you had that fell into the well, you ain't never going to see it again and you are better off because you got a thousand dollars left"

Walter and Mildred look at each other, puzzled by the words then Sherman says,

"Let me explain..."

He then tells them the long, hard story,

_"I shouldn't say that my uncle never taught me anything, he did in fact. One day I was at the old homestead, it wasn't liveable or anything since it had been scavenged since my mother and I left for Big Springs all those many moons ago and people got wood off of it and I made a stable for Luke but I was able to make a moonshine still in there. Probition had just started so I made one or at least thought I did. It was a beauty of a one...made of pure copper fixings I could find. A big round pot on one end, swirly coils in the middle, smaller pot down here, all leading down to put the liquer in this just just awaiting at the end but something wasn't right. The liquer was coming out tasting like something a mule kicked in the mud in! I was fixin' on giving up and givin' up when I heard a knock at the door._

_In his mind's eye, Sherman remembers putting down the book and going to the door and opening it up and there stands a man, a jolly looking man and a woman beside him, she had the looks that frightens children in nightmares. A tall, thin woman with a sharp chin and her long, straight nose and she seems to looks down at him then the man says, "Sherman! I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper!"_

_He gathers Sherman up in a hug and slap on the back and the woman seems to smile and the man stands back then says,_

_"I can see you don't remember me..." Sherman slowly, wordlessly shakes his head then the nameless man says,_

_"Well, you were only five when I last saw you. I'm your uncle Richard! Your father's youngest brother! And this is my wife, Selina, your aunt. I'm sorry that I didn't come years earlier when your father passed away but well, the money wasn't available until now !..."_

_He comes on in and looks around at the cabin that is barley holding together and he asks, "Uh, you don't live here do you boy?"_

_Sherman then finds his voice since they have came and he says, _

_"Oh no, I stay at the college I go to, I just come here because I keep my horse here...and some other things"_

_His uncle looks around and then he chuckles and says,_

_"Yes, I see the things you are keeping"_

_He goes over to the moonshine still and asks Sherman,_

_"How's it doing Sherman?"_

_Sherman scratches his head then says,_

_"Not so good, I must be doing something wrong...It just won't turn out right no matter what I do"_

_His uncle looks over the still then says,_

_"Well, I see, no wonder; you haven't got everything you need on this boy"_

_Richard takes off his jacket and then picks up a piece of long copper off the floor and takes the coil off then adds the piece then looks round and sees another more thin piece and adds it to the other end then looks around again and sees a third smaller pot, adds it. Really tightens the coil on it then puts a smaller pot underneath it and stands back , turns on the switch to turn it on then watches the alcohol run from start to finish, puts some in a glass, hands it to Sherman then stands back and watches his reaction._

_Young Sherman tastes it and his reaction goes from tough skeptic to pure delight as he tastes it and he says,_

_"Whoo-ee! what did you do Uncle Richard?"_

_Richard smiles and says, "Well, boy, I just added this and that and tighten the coil, that's the key there, a tight, tight coil. It somehow gives you more of a kick like a boy goat in a room full of nanny's"_

_Sherman smiles then asks,_

_"How did you know to do that Uncle?" "Didn't your paw ever tell you about us building one of those?"_

_Sherman shakes his head then Richard says,_

_"Well, no matter, you were young when he passed on...well, let's go sit down, uh, outside, we got a lot to catch up on!"_

_Sherman and his uncle went outside to catch up and young Sherman couldn't help but have this nagging feeling that something was wrong under the covers._

_A few days later, Sherman comes in Mrs. Deen's and he sits in a chair and sighs of relief that at least the day is over then his Uncle Richard comes down and he sits down and says,_

_"Well, Sherman tell me what you are doing with yourself, what are you going to do after you get out of college?" "I plan to go to medical school and become a doctor" "Good, good, what are you doing to support yourself?" _

_Sherman shrugs his shoulders and says,_

_"I help fix up Mrs. Deen's hotel here" "That's good" "I never have asked you, what do you do Uncle?"_

_Richard smiles with pride then says,_

_"I'm in the army"_

_Sherman perks up then asks,_

_"The army?"_

_Richard nods his head then says,_

_"Yes, I'm the one in charge of the ROTC program in this area and now we just happen to be getting a together a leadership challange together."_

_Sherman then tells him,_

_"Well, I am in the National Guard here" "Hey! good deal Sherman boy!" "I just felt it was something I needed to do"_

_Richard walks around then says, _

_"Well, I'll tell you Sherman, I think you would be perfect in the ROTC, to develop your leadership skills and I think I could easily get you in that contest"_

_Sherman then says,_

_"I don't know if I want 'leadership skills', I'm not a leader" "Oh, don't be too hard on yourself Sherman, now you come with me down to your college and I'll show you a few things"_

Back in November of 1965, Sherman then says, "So I put my books down and told Mrs. Deen I would be back and went down to my college with my uncle and went to the ROTC office and I signed up and...that's when it started to unravel about my uncle"

Walter and Mildred look at each other and Walter asks, "What?"

_"Well, as I said, we went down to the ROTC_ _office to sign up and I was prouder than a peacock of myself and I could tell so was my Uncle. We then went down to see the men in practice in their drills and such. Your father was down there was down there Mildred,_

_I had never seen him in his army uniform so it gave me a feeling of well, awe to see him. Lt. Moore and I thought to myself, 'That's what I want to be'. And as if on cue, my uncle says, very disrespectfully, 'Well, he'll never win like that', I cocked my head and asked, 'What do you mean?"_

_He looks at me and sneers,_

_'Well, look how he is...he's being a namby pamby w ith those men...they will never respect him and win this"_

_I looked at your dad and how the men were responding and I replied,_

_'What do you mean? Everything looks just fine to me"_

_He makes a rude sneer in their direction and says,_

_"They will get tired of that"_

_Mitch, my best friend was in that troop and he saw the whole thing and he saw us. My uncle then tells me,_

_"Sherman, to get those men to win this you need to push them, you need to put some rough and tough in this. Just watch me with my men"_

_Well, my uncle goes over there and the men that he had were relaxed at first but that all quickly changed. He started yelling how the men were slackers, they had nothing, were nothing. Oh, he got them in semi shape you could say but their hearts wasn't in it. I looked over there at your dad and I could see something in those guys minds and hearts, it was like they wanted to do this right to get respect from Lt. Moore._

_After it was over, my uncle stayed behind to do some things and I went back to the hotel, I went in the room that my Uncle shared with my aunt, she was out shopping and I thought she would be gone longer but the door opened and there she was. Yes, she looked like something from a child's nightmare in elegant clothes but she was kind, much more kind than I saw in my Uncle that day._

_Selina looks surprised to see Sherman and she says,_

_"Hello Sherman" "Aunt Selina" _

_She takes off her white gloves and lays them down on the dresser and she smiles and says,_

_"Just call me Selina, I'm really just ten years older than you. Did you know that Sherman?"_

_I looked at her in surprise then says, _

_"No, I didn't realize that"_

_She smiles then says,_

_"Just don't ask me exactly how old, a true lady doesn't say her age"_

_I laugh and say,_

_"No, I wouldn't do that"_

_We both laugh at the ease of tension in the room between us and she asks as she goes and puts the packages she has bought up,_

_"I could tell that something was wrong Sherman when I came in, may I ask what is the matter?"_

_That's when I shift around uncomfortable then says,_

_"Well, Uncle Richard took me down to the ROTC office at school and I saw him in action and well..."_

_She just puts her soft hands together and walks around then says in a understanding voice,_

_"You saw things in your uncle that you didn't like?"_

_I walk over to the window and looks out at Hannibal and I didn't want to answer her, she was his wife so I just nod my head, 'yes' and she says something that shocked me,_

_"Sherman, your uncle is a good man, he's a good husband but he does have a problem that gets the better of him. I have a awful feeling that it will be his downfall and I can't help him"_

_I turn around and ask her, "Is he that competitive?" She shakes her head sadly then says,_

_"Yes, he has to be number 1 in all ways and he has had many a person talk to him and in the army, some see this as a winning move in war games but he loses friends and...family"_

_It was then then I remember what was bothering me...the reason why my father never mentioned Uncle Richard after I was five...when my dad was about 10 and my uncle was a teenager...something happened with my dad's best friend...there was some kind of contest and that boy was never my dad's friend again, Richard did something and the former friend was convinced that my dad knew what it was about so...dad and Richard never did feel the same again. Anyway, after she told me that, she comes over and puts her arm around me and says, _

_"Come on, Mrs. Deen said I could have the kitchen tonight and I want to make a nice, homemade supper tonight for all. Come on, you can help me" I smile and we then leave and go on down to the kitchen and make supper._

_Over the next few days, I saw some things that I didn't like about my Uncle more and more but there, was nothing I could do like Selina said. I saw him treat those men with total disrespect, sometimes even humiliation Then on the day of the event, something happened that leaves a bad feeling in my stomach even to this day._

_Like I said, my best friend Mitch was in your father's troop and when I came into the football auditorium, I saw him and shakes his hand so I got uneasy when his troop came out on the field and I didn't see him. My uncle was over there, happy as a lark on a spring day and I just got a gut feeling so I went looking around, I knew Mitch was somewhere. I went quickly down the last hallway I saw him, hollering his name when at the last door, the janitor's office,_

_Mitch heard me. I went over and opened the door and he came out sweating but he said, "Thank you Sherman...your uncle..." I knew was he was going to say so I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, "I know, just go on, your guys are waiting"_

_So Mitch went on and got back on the field just as they were going to disqualify his troop in the next minute. I looked over at my Uncle and his face was so red...spaghetti sauce couldn't be any more red anyway, your father's troop won first place and my uncle, well, he did somehow manage to get 2nd._

_He barely said goodbye to me because I think he knew I got Mitch out. I never did talk about it with your father but Mitch told him...he came over to me, put his big hand on my shoulder and asked, "Is he gone?" I looked after the disappearing tracks of my uncle and I just flatly said, "He's gone"_

**Back in 1965-**

"And that was the last I ever saw of Uncle Richard and Selina, I found out later that Selina wasn't just his wife, she was his third wife. Apparently, the was competitive with wives also and he wanted the more beautiful each decade it seemed. He married two more times after her."

"Where was I when this was going on?" Sherman thinks then says,

"I think you had gone to your aunts house in upstate Michigan"

Sherman looks up at the clock on the wall then says,

"Well, do you want me to tell you another story at 6? The news comes on then"

Walter and Mildred look at each other and smile because they know their gig is up.

**A/N-I probaly got some things wrong in how the Army handled the ROTC program in the 1920's, if I did, I'm sorry.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	14. Chapter 14 Friends

**A/N-In my last chapter, I made a small mistate in identifying the Vietnam attack, I'm sorry.**

**Please continue with the story.**

Millie puts down a large bowl of Macaroni and cheese and Laura pours some sweet tea in glasses and Millie says,

"Calm down Sunshine, the furniture will be here"

Sunshine paces around and around in a little circle then says,

"It was supposed to be here a hour ago!"

Mildred brings over some paper plates, plastic forks and spoons then says,

"I'm sure when it finally gets here, the boys will have a good explanation why they didn't get here on time"

Sunshine rolls her eyes then says,

"Oh, I'm sure and it better be a good one!"

The women laugh then suddenly Sunshine sees the moving truck coming down the street and she squeals then finally the truck parks and Walter and Sherman get out and Sunshine asks them,

"What happened? You guys left early this morning"

Sherman and Walter look at each other and both of them say, "Traffic". Mildred and Sunshine look at each other and smiles then Mildred says,

"Well, come on and eat, Rob and Jerry have the bar-b-q done and we're hungry"

Sunshine protests and says,

"But the furniture !"

Mildred smiles and says,

"Sunshine, the furniture will be here in 20 minutes, the food gets cold, come on"

Sunshine slumps her shoulder a little bit then says, "Yes ma'am"

Laura then says, "Let me go get the vegetables !" Millie then says, "And I'll get the fried potatoes"

The wives go get the last of the food and Jerry and Rob bring the main course and they call all the children, Misty being the only girl . They then sit down and enjoy a well cooked meal with friends then all the guys start to get up and go someplace and Sunshine lightly kicks Walter under the table and he says,

"Let's go get the furniture in fellows"

He rubs his shin then mutters under his breath,

"I should have known that was coming"

Sunshine looks at him and she smiles that 'loving' smile and Walter shakes his head, smiles and goes over and asks,

"Okay, what do we start moving first?"

Rob then says,

"Well, let's start with the big pieces first, like the beds and work on other pieces" "Okay"

They start getting the mattress's and things going with the bed when Misty comes up and says,

"I want to help daddy"

He smiles at her then says,

"This is heavy work baby"

She stomps her little feet then says,

"Daddy!"

Sherman then says,

"Why don't you go find the pillows for the beds and couch pumpkin?" "All right!"

She quickly scrambles up and goes in and finds all the pillows and in a couple of trips brings them all in then asks, "What now daddy?"

Walter then says,

"Well, the rest of it is really heavy stuff baby. You did help now, why don't you just go play?"

Little tears come out of her eyes and she cries,

"I want to help!"

Mildred goes over and comforts her granddaughter and Sherman also comes over and he says, "Why don't we go read _'Black Beauty'_ honey?"

She sniffs then whimpers, "Okay"

She goes over and takes her grandfather's huge but gentle hand to her and they go and sit down on the porch swing to read and he takes out the book and goes to the next chapter-

_'Chapter 14-James Howard'_

Sherman reads her the small chapter and by the time they finish, Myron T. Byrone shows up around the corner and he says,

"Hi Misty!"

Misty jumps up as her grandfather says the last word and she happily smiles and says,

"Hi Myron!"

She runs down the steps and takes her friend's hand and he says,

"What cha wanna go do?" She looks down at the woods behind the house and she says,

"Let's go down to the creek!"

He then asks her,

"Are our boats still down there?" "Yeah!" "Let's go!"

All the grown ups laugh and Sunshine goes in to get a small bundle of pictures then says,

"Thank Goodness, I just knew she was going to start asking to help again"

Millie asks, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Sunshine puts down the pictures in the living room then says,

"Millie, Myron may be 'different ' and basically her age but she is really with her older, protective big brother"

Rob puts down a chair then says,

"Thank God for friends"

He doesn't notice Jerry putting down the ottoman so he trips over it and everyone laughs and his wife says,

"Oh Rob!"

Sherman sits back in the swing and starts thinking,

_'Alvin Arthur, my dear friend...A few days after the ROTC episode, I was at my broken down homestead and I heard something drive up like one of those new cars that was coming out and I was thinking, 'Who on this side of the hills that I know owns one, that would come here?'_

_Anyway, I heard 'Sherman! Get out here!'_

_Sherman puts down his drink then goes outside and sees his friend Alvin from college sitting in what Sherman recognizes as a 'cyclecar'. Sherman's eyes bug out and he asks,_

_'Racing roosters! what in heaven's? where did you get this?'_

_Alvin smiles a mile wide then says,_

_'It's my brother-in-law's! My sister said I could take a little drive! Come on, let's go round town!"_

_Didn't have to prod me much, I couldn't wait to get in and I said,_

_"Let's go to Mildred's!'_

_Alvin switches on the car then says,_

_"I figured you would say that! So I have already planned it out! Let's go!'_

_We took out and enjoyed going around town with everybody watching us, the children of Hannibal would yell like the circus was in town when they saw us, then we drove up to Mildred's. Alvin honked the horn and Mildred came to the window, she looked down and asked,_

_"What are you two doing?"_

_I holler back,_

_"Alvin's borrowing his brother-in-law's cyclecar and taking us for a spin!" "I'm coming down!"_

_It only took a few minutes for her to disappear then run down and open the back screen door and come to us, she was so happy for us._

_"Oh, I wish it had more than 2 seats"_

_Sherman looks at Alvin then says,_

_"Well, if some kind best friend who wanted to make his best friend happy..." _

_Alvin rolls his eyes then says,_

_"Oh, okay. Just be careful"_

_I let out a small yipee, he gets out, I get in the driver's seat and Mildred gets in and we take off. The cyclecar didn't go very fast so Alvin was able to run behind us, all of us were laughing like children at the circus when we passed her father working their small farm. Mister Moore was a career man in the Army so he wasn't used to working a farm but he did pretty good and when he saw us in a cyclecar and Alvin chasing after us, he was holding a watermelon and he just shook his head and said, "Damn fool kids"_

_The three of us just drove into the warm evening sun laughing and not having a care. Later, after we took Mildred home, Alvin and I took one last drive around town and then we went back to my homestead and went inside and started getting drinks from my still. I told him about my time in France, how dirty and grimy it was, about my friends over there, everybody from Ryan who died to Gresky back in Scotland and then there was a little speck of a girl named Ginger._

_I told him about the horses...the horses they sold for the army to have money but how the officers kept theirs and I was one of the ones picked to take care of them on the way home. _

_About my life in my return to Hannibal, meeting Mildred and my decision to go to college to become a doctor._

_He told me about his life as a son of poor farmers and how he promised his mother he would become a doctor before she died. He wasn't crazy about it, he would rather be a animal doctor like my uncle who helped raise me._

_So there we were laughing and drinking until three in the morning. It was a good thing we didn't have any classes until two days later!_

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman chuckles at the memory then Mildred asks,

"What is it Sherman?"

He looks at her then says,

"Oh, just thinking of a old joke"

He gets up from the swing and Walter says,

"We got everything but a few little knik knacks and lamps"

Laura speaks up and says,

"Oh, let's sit down and take a rest!"

They all go in the living room and Millie closes the door and Mildred says,

"I'll get us some coffee"

They all sit down and start laughing and sharing jokes with each other when the doorbell rings and Sunshine gets up to go answer it. Mildred comes in the room with the coffee and when Sunshine opens the door, they hear a voice say, "You must be Sunshine, Radar's wife! You're just like he described you!"

Walter and Sherman both stand up and say,

"Klinger!"

**A/N-I need to make some more corrections from the last chapter, I meant for it to be Alvin that got locked in the closet by the uncle, not Mitch.**


	15. Chapter 15 A Gathering of Friends

**A/N-My last chapter had Sherman and friends have fun in the cyclecar. They were a real product, they were popular in the early 20's. I saw them on American Pickers and I just had to include it!**

**This chapter will be as fun as well.**

Maxwell Q. Klinger stands there with his little, beautiful six year old daughter who's standing shyly behind her handsome father and they hear squeals of delight coming from old friends,

"Klinger! You old Lebanese dirt dodger! Get over here!"

Klinger goes over and Sherman hugs him then Walter gives him a slap on the back and shakes his hand then Sherman asks,

"What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you for another week or two! Not that you are not welcome , you sure are a welcome to these tired eyes!"

Klinger takes a breath then says,

"Well, I, I just couldn't stay in Toledo anymore. I spent so much time trying to get back to Toledo and now I just can't stay so when you invited me to spend Thanksgiving, so I came here figuring that Kimmie and I would stay that is if you don't mind"

Sherman looks at Mildred who is smiling a country mile wide and the friends around who are excited and curious then he says back to Klinger,

"Oh, you are as welcomed as a pea in a pod boy! We're all happy as a flock of birds in a corn patch!"

Sherman then remembers the others in the room and he says,

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is Max Klinger boys, he was my company clerk after Walter left..."

Rob and Jerry get up to shake his hand and Sherman then says,

"Klinger, this is Jerry Matthews and his wife Millie and Rob and Laura Peters"

Klinger then remembers his young daughter and he says,

"Oh, this is my little girl Kim Le"

Sunshine and all the ladies melt at the sight of her and Sunshine says,

"Hello Kim Le"

The shy little girl barely says,

"Hi"

Radar then says,

"Oh, and this is Sunshine"

Klinger waves and Sherman says,

"You know Mildred"

He goes and shakes her hand then he asks,

"Hey, are you moving in Radar? I may have come at a wrong time"

Everybody says at once,

"NO! We were just getting all the furniture off the truck, it's all fine".

Mildred then asks,

"Where are you and Kim Le staying?"

Klinger thinks for a minute then says,

"Well, gee, I don't know, can any of you recommend a good hotel? Kim Le and I don't want to be a bother"

Sherman then says,

"No siree, you will stay at our house. Walter and Sunshine are busy moving in but there's always room at our house" "Thanks sir"

Just then Misty and Myrone come up and Sunshine asks,

"Hi Honey, are you two finished playing?"

Misty shakes her head then says,

"No, we just got thirsty"

Sunshine smiles then says,

"There's some lemonade on the picnic table but come in , this is Kim Lee and her father Max"

Misty looks at her and simply says,

"Hi, you want to come play with us? This is Myrone"

Myrone waves hi and Kim Lee says shyly,

"Hi...I'd like to play" "Then come on! we're playing down at the creek!"

They all go out to get some lemonade then run down to the creek and Sunshine says,

"Well, that didn't take long to become friends"

Millie then says,

"Oh, it doesn't take long with kids, they have a ability we don't!"

They all laugh then Max says,

"I think it's because Kim Lee doesn't really have any friends...the kids back in Toledo...well, they saw something different and the parents it was like they encouraged it"

They all give a disgusted sigh then Sherman says,

"Hey! We got the makings of a great poker game now!"

All the men say 'Yeah!' then Sherman says,

"And Max, there's another neighbor you have to meet, he'll remind you of somebody else...another Mash person"

Walter laughs then Sunshine says,

"Well, you're going to have to have it someplace else"

Walter protests weakly by saying,

"Aw, Sunshine!" "I can't have it here! we just barely got the furniture in!"

Rob then speaks up by saying,

"We can have it at my place, you don't mind do you Laura?"

Wide eyed but sweet Laura says,

"Me? No, you're all welcome...just no smoking"

The men shake thier heads and Sunshine says,

"Come on ladies, help me get some of this house in order"

The ladies go with Sunshine to help her while the men stay back to joke, remember old times and just laugh.

A few hours later, Rob and Laura leave, a empty casserole dish in Laura's hand then Rob says,

"I better go and get things ready for the poker game"

Laura then asks,

"What about Richie?"

Sunshine says,

"Just leave him here and let him play. None of the kids are ready to go home" "Okay, just send him home when you're ready"

Just then one of the boys come over and turn on the radio and a voice comes out and says,

**"This is Dick Clark and you're listening to 'American Bandstand'!"**

**The theme of t he show comes on and the kids start dancing on the lawn in funny ways and Walter says,**

"I'm not sure how I like Misty and these young kids listening to that"

Sunshine waves her hand then says,

"Oh, leave them alone. This is the new generation and they are having fun!"

Just then Dick Clark comes back on and says,

**"Here's a new song by Del Shannon, a song called "Keep Searchin' ( We'll follow the Sun"**

The kids continue dancing and the grown ups laugh and Rob and Laura go to their house.

**A/N-I know this chapter wasn't full of drama like previous chapters but I just wanted good, clean fun with FRIENDS.**

**The section with Dick Clark is my tribute to the man. **

**Dick Clark-Rest In Peace**

**Sand n' Sable**


	16. Chapter 16 A Awful Memory

**A/N-I put 'American Bandstand' in my last chapter as my honor due to Dick Clark and as one person told me, the 'Bandstand' was never on radio but I put it on there, this is Fanfiction, let's use our imagination, please? Otherwise, I do try to be historically accurate.**

**Much thanks to the People's Sgt. for helping me and if I make some more mistakes in this chapter, please tell me but I am doing so for the story.**

Walter woke up the next morning and he was alert, he didn't know why he woke up so he picked up the round alarm clock next to his bed, put on his glasses and looked and saw that it said 3:44. His wife, Sunshine woke up and she asked softly,

"Honey, what is it? Something wrong? You only went to bed a few hours ago"

He looks at her and simply says,

"Something's wrong"

She turns on the light next to their bed and she asks,

"Are you sick? It may just be the excitement of moving in our house finally and Max coming"

He tries to smile at her but he can't so he gets up and puts on his housecoat then suddenly they hear fire sirens coming down the street and he looks out the window and says,

"Incoming"

{

The sirens wake up Maxwell and a cold sweat breaks out on him, he looks over at his daughter who wakes up and asks,

"What's wrong daddy?"

He gets up and puts on his bathrobe and its then that his dog tags make tinkling sound and he says,

"I don't know baby, go back to sleep"

She gets up and she says with a stubborn streak in her voice,

"No daddy. We will find out together"

He just smiles and goes out his bedroom and he goes to the living room and he looks back and sees his little Kim Le in her pajamas following him then he opens the door and he sees Sherman and Mildred watching and he slowly walks up and they all look at the fire blazing at somebody's house down street then Walter and Sunshine walk up and their daughter, Misty, goes to Kim Le. Walter then asks,

"Whose's house is it?"

Sherman takes a deep breath then says,

"Bill Water's place" "Oh no"

Sunshine says softly then Mildred asks,

"I wonder what caused the fire?"

He sighs again and says,

"I can tell you. Bill has the oldest house here doesn't he?"

Somebody says yes then he says,

"He still had that old Glenwood base heater, that things old as me."

Walter senses that something is wrong with his adopted father as Sherman turns around and goes in the house and so does the whole family and Walter says,

"Pop? what's wrong?"

Sherman looks at him and tenderly says,

"I never could fool you"

Max asks,

"Pop?"

Sunshine gets his arm and whispers the situation why Walter calls Sherman pop and he smiles and says,

"As it should be"

They all go in and sit down around the kitchen table while the little girls go and lay down on the couch watching the fire and eventully falling asleep while Sherman tells them another part of his life,

"When Hawkeye got burned by that heater in Korea, it affected me in more ways than anybody knew, I just didn't tell...didn't want to tell but I think now I need too..."

They all sit back and listen to the story,

"It was my 2nd year of college and not long after I joined the national guard and we had just come from a treacherous 21 mile hike around some of the roughest country in Missouri. We were colder than a fish at the bottom of a well, more miserable than a bear without food and just downright tired but we still should have had sense...anyway...the Sargent came over and we all tried to salute him but we were so tired, it was weak salute so he smiled and stopped in front of a man and said,

"Private Simmons!"

A thin, little man stood up clearly tired almost to the point of going to sleep on his feet and the Sergant says,

"Go light the heater in the barracks so the room can be warming up for your self and your buddies"

He gives a salute to him then says,

"Yes sir!"

He starts to turn to leave when one of the wise guys in the troop says,

"Don't make any wooden nickels out of the wood!"

Simmons gives a weak smile and goes on in the building, " None of us gave it a second thought as we all sat down on the grass and rocks and took a small rest then without any warning, the building blew up! Well, it didn't all blow up but the windows blew out and some boards went flying. I was one of the first men who ran up to the building...I flew open the door and saw something."

Sherman's voice begins to crack and he says,

"It was Simmons...he was on fire...I never saw a human body on fire before and I saw plenty in the wars but that was the first time and it was just a stupid accident that caused it! He was screaming...it took months for those screams to leave me."

Everybody in the room is crying then Sherman continues and says,

"Simmons must have still had some thoughts with him. He reached down, got his pistol out of his holder and killed himself on the spot. We were all so shocked that we just stood there the lot of us but somebody finally went over there and quickly smothered out the flames."

Sherman shifts in his seat then says,

"Things changed after that...the base made a new rule that two men had to be with all who lit the heater"

Mildred then says,

"That's why you never let me be alone at the fireplace or heater. And as soon as we could, get a gas heater"

He shakes his head silently then gets up and goes into the living room and sits down in between Misty and Kim Le.

The people at the table are left in stunned silence and tears down they're faces but eventually Mildred gets up and makes coffee and Sunshine goes over to the frig to get some eggs to make breakfast but the silence remains.

A hour later as the sun comes up, Misty stirs awake and she sees her grandfather and she says,

"Morning Grandpa"

She gets up and gets in his lap then asks,

"Will you read me the next chapter of **'Black Beauty'**?"

He looks at her and asks,

"Don't you want to eat breakfast?"

She purses her lips then says,

"No, I'm not hungry, I just want you to read to me grandpa. I like to hear your voice"

He softly giggles and gets the book and settles down with her while this time Mildred and Sunshine cry tears of joy this time.


	17. Chapter 17 Just a Little Talk

Misty, Kim Lee, and Myron are in Sherman's front yard playing with some old toys that you can tell from a glance was made in another time. Walter walks up the walk to his dad's home and he smiles and he looks at Sherman and Mildred sitting on the porch watching the young children and smiling and drinking lemononade and Sherman asks,

"Morning son, slept in a little late?"

Walter goes up on the porch and sits down in a chair and says,

"Yeah, Sunshine thought she would let me sleep in some since I don't go to the station until after lunch"

Sherman shakes his head then asks him,

"Nervous on your first day?"

Walter shakes his head then says,

"Yes"

He then asks,

"What are those old toys they are playing with?"

He chuckles then says,

"One of the old buildings at my old homestead that was still standing when I came back home was a old, broken down shed that my dad built. We threw in every toy I had that I left in the dust when I discovered horses so that's what they are playing with. All of them come from the old 'Buddy L' line"

Walter shakes his head then asks,

"How's Kim Lee doing?"

Sherman takes a sip of his drink then says,

"She's doing fine, she's blooming like a daisy now that Max got her away from the clods back in Toledo"

Walter shakes his head yes and sits back and watches them then Sherman finally asks him,

"What's really going on son?"

Walter looks around then says,

"I don't know, my stomach is just all in knots, guess cause I'm supposed to start work today and go on camera tonight. What if I mess up? what if...I've never been on camera before!"

Sherman looks at him and says,

"Yes, you have. Remember that reporter who came to Korea?"

Walter's face scrunches up and he says,

"Yeah, but that was just answer and question, this I will be on every night, talking in my own words and telling people important things!"

Sherman then tells him,

"Calm down son! You'll do fine, a lot of people believe in you"

Walter waves it away then says in a disgusted voice,

"Oh, who has ever believed in me?"

Sherman shifts in his chair and puts down his glass and moves in closer then says,

"Oh, well, for one, I believe your old boss, Henry Blake believed in you. From what I have heard , everybody else wanted to get rid of you but Henry kept plugging and training you and before you knew it you were running a entire Army hospital easier than a filly crossing the line at a horse race!"

Walter blushes then says,

"Yeah, well..."

Sherman then says,

"Sunshine believed in you, enough to marry you and that's a mighty big step for a young lady to take"

Walter starts feeling a little better then he asks Sherman,

"Who was the first person to believe in you?"

He smiles and points to Mildred and says,

"That little lady's father, Gary Moore"

Mildred smiles a mile wide then Sherman sits back and starts telling Walter his memory,

"It was my 3rd year of college and things weren't going so great. Oh, my grades were still good but I was down on myself and didn't really know why, well, one day, very much like today and come to think of it, I recall there being a crisp in the air so it may have been November also but anyway, I was sitting in a chair I had got off their porch and I was looking at the small garden that was growing winter foods and I was in a funk. I didn't know it but Mildred sent her father out to me, he came with his own chair, put it down next to mine and he was quiet for a while. Just sitting with me then he asked me in that slow, southern drawl..."

"What's wrong Sherman?" He asked me as he picked up a blade of grass and put it in his mouth to chew on and I sigh then say,

"Oh, I don't know, I just...don't think I've done anything..."

He cocks his eyebrow then asks,

"You haven't?" "No" I say sulking.

That man who was about the strongest, but most gentle man I have ever known, just stayed quiet for the longest time then he asked me,

"When where you born?"

I looked at him and thought he had just about lost his mind then but I just shrugged my shoulders and said,

"1901"

He sits back and looks out at the garden then asks,

"When did you go in the army?" "When I was 15"

He spits out the grass blade then asks,

"When you were over there didn't you tell me that you and your friends helped a French girl named, what was it? Ginger?"

A small smile crosses my mouth at the memory of my friend and I say, "Yeah".

He then says,

"And when you got back and started working for Mrs. Deen in town, didn't you help that co-worker save his arm?"

I shake my head then he says,

"And didn't you help your friends that night of the tornado at your college?"

I shake my head as I realize where he is going in this and then he just stands up and says,

"Well, seems you me you have done a lot in your life for such a deadbeat..."

He walks off back to the house then he says,

"Seems to me you best think before you speak"

**Back in 1965-**

"Just before he goes into the house, he turns and gives me a quick wink then he disappears."

Sherman smiles at the memory then he says,

"That started to work up my courage to ask this little lady to marry me...but I'll tell you about that later. "

Walter then says,

"Gee, that's neat"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"I think it was"

They watch Kim Lee go in the house clearly tired and Myron go home and Misty comes up to her grandfather and says,

"Grandpa,please read 'Black Beauty' to me!"

Sherman smiles and they start t o go in the house when Sherman stops, turns and winks then says,

"You best get ready to go to work"

Walter smiles and he watches Misty and Sherman go inside to read.

**Buddy L toys were and are a real toy line, in the 20-40's, they built high quality steel toys for boys.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	18. Chapter 18  Heroes

The next morning, Walter comes in Sherman's home with Sunshine and Misty and everybody sees them and they cheer,

"Yeah!" "You did good Walter!"

Walter then says,

"Sunshine even let Misty stay up last night to watch me"

Max leans over and asks Misty,

"What did you think of your daddy Misty?"

"I think he did good! Daddy can do anything!"

She then just runs over to Kim Lee who is finishing breakfast and Klinger tells Radar,

"You were terriffic Radar"

Walter smiles then says, "Guess what! I may even have a job for Klinger"

Max looks around then asks,

"What? How ? Where?"

Walter explains,

"I don't know where or that what but the how is easy, some man came in last night from the uneployment office saying some local jobs is needed, you guys must have signed off after I was on"

Max shakes his head then says,

"Yes, we did...I better go! Uh, where do I go? Where is the unemployment office?"

Walter shakes his head then says,

"I really don't know either, pop?"

Sherman shrugs his shoulders then says,

"I'm not sure either but I think it's on Lee Street but go ask Rob, I think his brother, Stacy works there"

Max shakes his head then gets up and leaves and Sunshine and Walter go to sit down and Sherman and Mildred sit with them and they all just start chit chating then a knock comes on the door and Mildred goes to answer it and when she does, there stands a boy of about 13, with reddish/brown hair and in play clothes and holding a notebook and pencil and a smaller boy of about 10 is with him and he says,

"Hi Mrs. Potter"

She smiles and says,

"Why Josh! come on in and bring your brother in with you"

Josh signals for his brother to go with him and they go in and Josh says,

"Mrs. Potter, we came to see you"

A surprised look comes on her face, and her eyes go wide and she asks,

"Oh?"

Josh then explains,

"See, we've been given a history assignment in school, we're studying American wars and we're supposed to do a study on some local war heros of the past and no offense to you mister Potter, we just wanted to learn about Mister Moore, I've heard stories all my life and I just want to know more for my assignment"

Sherman shakes his head in understanding and tears are in Mildred's eyes and she says,

"Come on boys, let me show you some things and I'll tell you about my daddy"

Josh and his brother go with her and Walter says,

"Gee, that's neat, I could tell by your stories that he was a great man but I never realized how great...when did he die?"

Tears prick his eyes then he says,

"He didn't live to see WW 2"

Walter and Sunshine's faces drop and he says,

"Oh no...what did he die of?"

Sherman points to his heart softly taps it then says,

"His heart, his whole family has bad heart problems, Mildred's just been lucky; she takes care of herself, all of her sisters died of heart problems. But we still had great times until he died but I rememeber that first time he had a heart attack"

Walter shifts around in his chair a little then asks,

"What happened?"

Sherman doesn't answer for a few minutes then he says,

"Well, Mildred and her sisters along with their mother took turns cooking supper each night and that night was Mildred's turn and she had made roast chicken and bread stuffing. Always been one of her best things to cook. Anyway, all during supper, I had noticed that Mister Moore was acting a bit different while we ate so when we where finished, he got up and went to the bathroom and the girls were taking the dishes away when I heard, 'Good God Almighty!' then I heard some crashing of something falling..."

He takes a deep breath and goes on,

"We ran in there, he was on the floor, sweating and in severe pain, Mrs. Moore ran over to him crying and without even thinking, I went over to him and yelled for Mildred to call the local doc, Doctor Miller. I thought about doing something that I had heard about that we call CPR today but before I could, I heard Mildred yell,

"Damn! The phone is broken!"

Sherman then tells Walter,

"I didn't waste a moment,I jumped up and ran out the door, Mildred asked me where I was going and I said I was going for Doc Miller...I remember thinking that I wished I had bought Luke that night but Doc Miller only lived two blocks away then..."

Walter asks,

"What?"

Sherman takes off his glasses then says,

"I fell in some damn hole that a neighborhood kid had made, doc told me later that I had fractured my ankle...I was treated like some kind of stupid hero but all I cared about was Mister Moore."

Sunshine asks,

"Well, what happened to him?"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"He pulled through"

You can almost feel a great sigh in the room and Sherman smiles then says,

"I remember going in his bedroom a few days later, I honestly felt like my guts were in a knot and I walked slowly over there because of my ankle but when I got to the bed, he just opened his eyes , pulled me in closer to him and asked, 'Who said you don't make a difference?'

**Back in 1965-**

"I had decided right then and there I would ask for Mildred's hand ...but I didn't...then"

They all break out in laughter then Mildred and Josh and his baby brother come back in the living room and he says,

"Gee, thanks Mrs. Potter! You told me so many things I didn't know about your paw! I'm sure to get a A! Come on James!"

The boys leave and Mildred smiles then Max comes back in the room and he says,

"I did it! Thanks Radar ol' buddy! I got a job!"

Everybody jumps up for joy and Sherman asks,

"You did? Well, what is it boy?"

Max hands him a peice of paper and he starts laughing and Sunshine and Walter look at each other then ask,

"What is it?"

Max explains some of it,

"Well, you see, I'm a delivery truck driver for..."

Sherman hands him the paper and Walter reads it out loud,

_'Golden Missouri dresses'_

They all fall out laughing and Misty comes over confused and she says,

'Grandpa, let's go read Black Beauty'!"

He agrees while laughing and Sunshine wonders what s so funny and Mildred slightly understands.


	19. Chapter 19 A Pair of Stubborn ladies

Walter and his lovely wife, Sunshine, are in the bathroom. It's a modest bathroom but with enough room for her to sit on the side of the bathtub and Walter on a stool and he tenderly holds her ankle in his lap and looks over it, all bruised and swollen then they hear knocking on the door and he says,

"Come in pop!"

The door opens then a few seconds later, Sherman and Mildred comes in the bathroom and sees them and Sherman goes over there and looks at her ankle and tweaks it a little and sees her face grimace in pain then he says,

"I would say it's just a hairline fracture but I would wrap it up and keep her off her feet but I have a feeling you might have to sit on her like a old mother hen!"

Walter tries to hide a smile and he asks Mildred,

"Mom, can you hand me the wrap over there by the sink?"

She goes over and gets the medical wrap and hands it to Walter and she asks,

"How did it happen?"

Sunshine says through mist of tears,

"Oh, I was trying to put up the shower curtain"

Walter starts to wrap it when Sherman sees his hands trembling and he says,

"Easy son"

Walter looks up at him then says,

"I haven't done this in a while"

Sherman looks at him with compassion and Walter says,

"Can you do it?" "Son, I would but with my hands and my eyes now, I don't know...you have to be careful to do these right or infection could set in"

Sunshine asks,

"From a fractured ankle?"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"If its not taken care of right, I've seen it happen"

Walter says,

"Well, let's do it together"

Sherman smiles and with him giving directions, they both wrap Sunshine's ankle then they help her into the living room and sit down on the couch and she says,

"There's so much to do!"

Mildred then says,

"It will get done, you just sit still. Walter, before you go to work tonight; you bring her to the house. I will watch her like a hawk all night!"

Sunshine pouts like a little girl and Walter, to make the time go by and also for his curiosity, asks Sherman,

"Pop, who did you see get a infection from this?"

Sherman doesn't say anything, just looks at Mildred then she says,

"Go on, you might as well tell him Sherman. It's not like it's a secret"

Sherman sits back in his chair then says,

"Well, it happened after her dad's heart attack, Mister Moore was told to rest , stay in bed and well, it ain' t easy for a man like that but they managed for awhile anyway, well, Mildred and her 4 sisters and 1 brother did pitch in and did all the things that he would have done but Mrs. Moore? Well, she did twice as much as anybody. I did as much as I could but I only had a few more years of college so I was pushing as hard as a Missouri mule to get things done. Well, anyway, about a week after the heart attack I went over t o their house and when I opened the door, I just saw Mrs. Moore on the bed, didn't see her him anywhere so I asked,

_'Where's mister Moore?"_

_Mildred looks at me then says,_

_"Daddy's sitting in the swing in the garden, I'm here taking care of momma"_

_I then take notice of her swollen ankle , it was a bite mite worse than yours Sunshine. I asked her, What happened?"_

_Mildred looks at her mother then says,_

_"It happened a few days ago, out in the barn; she fell off the ladder coming down from the loft"_

_Mrs. Moore then says,_

_"I just missed putting my foot on a run . There's still so much to be done!"_

_Mildred shakes her head and says,_

_"And the girls and I will do it ! Calvin can do when he comes home from school, you just sit here and get better. Won't do no good to run around here like a broken toy"_

_Mrs. Moore just sits and grumps and that's when I notice the bits of sweat on her face and I ask,_

_"Are you okay Mrs. Moore? How are you feeling?"_

_She looks at me and says,_

_"I'm feeling a bit down but my ankle..." "How long have you been sweating?"_

_She shrugs her shoulders then says,_

_"Awhile, it's a hot day today"_

_That's when Mildred says,_

_"Mom, a good breeze is coming in today for once"_

_I look at her ankle again and see the bruises and I ask,_

_"When did the doctor look at this?"'_

_Mildred shakes her head and says,_

_"Mom wouldn't let me, she said no need in getting the doc for a broken ankle" _

_Mrs. Moore stubbornly puts her words in and says,_

_"I still say so"_

_And that's when I say,_

_"Mildred, I know you are doing your best, but something's not right. What are you doing?" "Just rubbing it with medicine and cool water"_

_Suddlenly, Mrs. Moore slumps a little and Mildred panics and asks,_

_"Mom! what's wrong?"_

_Slightly gasping for breath, she says,_

_"N, Nothing. I'll be...all right"_

_Not another minute passes and I say,_

_"I'm going for doc Miller"_

_Mrs. Moore , still just as stubborn, says,_

_"Sherman...no"_

_I look at her then Mildred and I say just as stubborn as she can,_

_"I'm going"_

_She slumped back in defeat, Mildred slowly began to cry but I was back with the doctor in no time, he gave Mrs. Moore some medicine, carefully took care of the ankle and a few days later, she got a good chewing out from her husband. Mildred felt guilty for a long time but it wasn't her fault. It was just plain mule headed stubborness of a woman"_

**Back in 1965-**

Walter then says,

"Wow, I am sure glad everything turned out all right"

Mildred says,

"So am I"

Sherman leans in closer to Sunshine and says in a stern voice,

"And that's why we are taking care of you"

She squirms a little then Misty comes in and she says,

"Grandpa! Can we read 'Black Beauty'?"

He smiles then says,

"Yes, we can"

He picks up the book and she settles in his lap and he says, "Chapter 19" and starts reading as Sunshine looks at her ankle.

**I know it's a short chapter and I may be wrong on medical facts but please enjoy!**


	20. Chapter 20 Max

Walter was sitting in a chair listening to Sherman read the latest chapter of '_Black Beauty'_ to Misty and drinking a grape Nehi. Sherman and Misty are sitting on the couch and Sherman reads,

"Chapter 20-_Joe Green_-_Joe Green went on very well; he learned quickly and was so attentive and careful that John began to trust him in many things. ..._and he kept reading until Walter finished the soft drink and Klinger came through the door.

Misty happily got up and went into the next room after her grandfather finished reading , Sherman and Walter looked at each other because in their experience with Max, they could tell he was tired but there was also something wrong. Max put down his metal lunch box on the end table and Max sighed and Sherman asks,

"What's wrong Klinger? You looked more down than a puppy without water"

Max sighs then says,

"Well, this has been a terrific first few days at work, in some ways it's like coming home to and taking care of a old friend!"

Walter and Sherman look at each other and smile , then Max says,

"But then today, something happened that I wish hadn't happened but it did and now I don't know what to do. I mean, I know what to do but should I do it?"

Sherman shakes his head and says,

"Whoa Klinger, back up those words and why don't you tell us something that makes sense?"

He sighs then gets up and walks around the room then asks,

"Where's Kim Lee?"

Walter says,

"I think she's in her room, Misty had said something about them playing dolls or something like that when pop finished reading"

Max shakes his head then says,

"Good because I wouldn't want her hearing this"

Walter watches him pass back and forth several times then he says,

"Just tell us Klinger, you know how easy I am to get dizzy..."

In fact, he puts his hand on his stomach then says,

"In fact, I'm not feeling so swell now"

Max goes over and pats him on the shoulder then says,

"Sorry buddy"

Walter waves it away then Sherman says,

"Just tell us before the rooster crows son"

Max takes a deep breath then says,

"Well, I was getting ready to come home, I had parked the delivery truck and was going to my locker when I heard them..."

Max takes so long in saying his next sentence that Sherman says,

"Klinger, I'm fixing to come in with a crowbar on your mouth if you don't tell us, come on man!"

Max tells them,

"I over heard some of the other drivers and workers about stealing some of the store's exclusive dresses"

Both Sherman and Walter's eyes go wide and they asks at the same time,

"What?" "Yeah, I was coming in and I was just about to start whistling when I heard the other driver, I think his name is Clark...Hamilton...just goes to show, just because you got some fancy name doesn't mean anything...anyway, he and some of the other workers were talking about coming back later tonight and making off with those expensive, one of a kind dresses of Mrs. Miller's"

Sherman shakes his head then says and says,

"Clark Hamilton, he's been a bad egg from way back. He was just doing petty crimes when I got back from Korea, and he just got out from prison after two years and Mrs. Miller was giving him a chance by hiring him and he's going to throw it away like some damn fool idiot!"

Klinger shakes his head and says,

"What am I going to do?"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Klinger, you got no choice, you know what to do"

Max slumps his shoulders then Walter says,

"Yeah, and what about Kim Lee? What are you going to say to her why you didn't do the right thing?"

Max shakes his head then asks,

"But what about if this goes to trail? And I have to testify, you guys know I don't have the best reputation. I tried to get out of the Army wearing dresses and let's not forget that I was nearly sent to the stockade for stealing Captain Pierce's camera!"

Sherman looks at him as he paces then says,

"Yes, but you were proven innocent of that and as for you wearing dresses, you're not the first man to try getting out by dressing like the prom queen, by the way, that was my favorite"

Klinger smiles a little then says,

"Thank you Col., I tried to look my best"

They smile and gently laugh then Max asks,

"Did you ever go through anything like this Col.?"

Sherman thinks on that then says,

"I never saw a crime or a witness one but I can tell you about someone who did"

Walter asks him,

"Who?"

Sherman tells both of them,

"It was my friend Emmett, it was near the end of my college years"

Walter asks him,

"What happened?"

Sherman shrugs his shoulders then says,

"Well, Emmett was...well,..."

Sherman laughs then says,

"Come to think of it, he reminded me a lot of you Klinger, he was always trying one thing or another. Now, if you recall this was just several years before the depression began and things were beginning to tighten on everybody then so Emmett stumbled on some rag tag 'friends' who were planning a heist, they were going to try and steal a busload of 1925 Brunswitch phonograph's"

Klinger asks,

"Phonograph's?"

Sherman shakes his head and points over to one by the door then says,

"Just like that one, they were a pretty hot item back then and in the right circles, they still on"

Klinger picks up on something his former boss says and asks,

"You said they were planning"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Yeah, Emmett went and convinced the local police of what was going on and they caught them red handed"

Klinger shakes his head then says,

"Well, that was good for Emmett but what am I going to do?"

Sherman thinks on it then asks,

"Klinger, what all did you hear?" "That it was going down at 9 o'clock tonight"

Sherman and Radar smile at each other and he asks,

"You do know how to use a poloraid camera like you were accused of?"

He then smiles and says,

"As easy as pie"

Later that night, Sherman picks up the phone and asks, "Operator, get me the police...yes, I would like to report a robbery that's going down now at _Golden Missouri Dresses _at 1213 Dearring lane"

At that time, Walter and Klinger at waiting in the dark at Klinger's work place and they are wearing dark clothes and then they hear a door opening then 4 guys come in and they whisper among themselves and they go directly to where the dresses are and they get them out and Klinger and Walter look at each other, and Klinger takes a picture and they quickly leave, smiling at each other as they know where the picture is going.


	21. Chapter 21 A  Weddingand a death

Sherman was sitting on his back porch swing and he watches Mildred walking up and down the tree lines and he has a worried, sad look on his face and Walter, Sunshine and Max come walking up. And they see what he is looking at and they get concerned, each one of them sits in a lawn chair then Walter asks,

"What's going on with mom?"

Sherman looks at him, sighs then says,

"She's sad, today is November 20...the last time she was with her father"

Sunshine's face falls then she says,

"Oh no!"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Yes, she'll wind up down at the creek, that's the last place she was with her dad before he died"

Walter asks him,

"This was their house?"

Sherman then tells him,

"No, this house wasn't even here back in the 20's but this land was always here, it used to be a beautiful patch of prairie land. It looked like the sun had kissed this piece of land and the trees weren't quite as thick back then so it was easier to go down to the creek so we had our wedding and the reception on this land"

Sunshine asks him,

"Oh, please tell us about the wedding!"

Sherman smiles and says,

" Why not? It will add some sunshine to this cloudy day. Well, it really started several months earlier. I had just graduated college and I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to be a doctor...I guess I always knew I wanted to be a doctor since I worked with my uncle in his vet's practice. And I wanted to be a surgeon, that I knew more than anything and I wanted Mildred Moore to be my wife.

Well, one day I was out in the back of the house, I was pretty much in a cold sweat , my heart was pounding like 15 horses in a race! I didn't know which end was up but then I looked up and I saw the prettiest little face this side of Dixie looking at me. It was Mildred and she took my hands, held them and asked,

_"Is there something you want to tell me?"_

_She knew. So I took a deep breath and I got down on one knee and I asked her,_

_"Miss Mildred Moore, will you be my wife?"_

_She didn't even looked shocked or surprised, she just...tears just gathered in her eyes and she smiled and said,_

_"Yes"_

_I was so shocked that I nearly forgot to breathe then I let out something that was close to a Indian war cry and I picked her up by her tiny waist and swung her around and around until she made me stop and put her down. She then said,_

_"Let's go home and tell daddy and momma"_

_At the mention of that, sweat breaks out on me again like I was out in a downpour and I take a gulp and says,_

_"I suppose I should ask your dad for your hand in marriage"  
><em>

_She just smiles and gently touches my face and says,_

_"That would be nice"_

_She takes me by the hand and we slowly walk to her house and when we got there, her dad was walking in the garden looking over his budding plants and when we get closer, Mildred waves her arms and says,_

_"Daddy!"_

_Mister Moore comes over and hugs his daughter then she looks at me then she smiles and says,_

_"Daddy, Sherman wants to talk to you about something" _

_Mister Glenn Moore looks at me and I want to go under the grass below my feet and he says,_

_"Oh?"_

_She walks into the house and says,_

_"Yes Daddy and you need to listen carefully...he's having trouble forming words"_

_I didn't see his hidden smile and he looks at me then says,_

_"Let's go over here"_

_For some reason, my collar felt tight even tho I knew it wasn't. I followed him into the garden and he just started picking up the squash and he asks quite simply,_

_"What do you want to talk about?"_

_I look up at the sky and see the birds flying and I say,_

_"Well...I...um, what do you think of those birds up there?"_

_Mister Moore looks up and sees them then says,_

_"They sure are fine, but I'm sure you didn't want to talk about the birds Sherman, what is it you wanted?"_

_I watch him let the squash he has fall into the bucket then I just take a deep breath and say,_

_"Mister Moore, I have, well, I mean, I..."_

_Suddenly I realized that here I was, 26 years old, practically raised myself since I was 15, a veteran of a war, I was going to be a surgeon and here I was about to wet my pants like a 6 year old just talking to this man about his daughter! I was pathetic! But anyway, I finally got up the words to say,_

_"Mister Moore, I have come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage"_

_It was then that I held my breath for what seemed a eternity but I was determined to stand there as a man with my head held high and my chest sticking out like a baboon but I thought I was standing like a man in war, I was looking just like a fool and he knew it. Mister Moore let the last of the squash go in the bucket then he looks at me and he says,_

_"All right"_

_That's all he said, just a simple 'All right' but it was so...unexpected. I let my chest lay down like a balloon and a slow smile crept on my face like the ants to a lunch and I let out a war cry again! I just started running and I found myself running through the pea patch, I hear him say,_

_"Hey!"_

_I then see what I'm doing and I hop out and I mouth 'I'm sorry' and I continue running around like a horse in a dance show! I ran out of the garden and I continue bumping into things._

_Mister Moore scratches his head and his wife, Brenda comes out and she asks,_

_"What was that all about?"_

_He looks at her and says,_

_"Boy just asked for our daughter's hand in marriage"_

_She smiles and says,_

_"Oh?"_

_Then he says,_

_"Yeah, but now I'm thinking that when it comes to brains, he got the short end of the stick, look at him"_

_Just then I run into the garden rake and Mrs. Moore smiles and says,_

_"Oh, leave him be. It wasn't so very long ago that you did the very same thing...daddy had to buy a momma a new wash tub after you got though with it"_

_They put their arms around each other and hug while I make a new dang dancing act for them to watch!"_

_{_

**Back in November of 1965-**

Walter, Sunshine and Max all but roll on the ground with laughter while Misty and Kim Lee run up to Mildred and take her by her tender hands and lead her down to the creek and Sherman smiles and he thinks on something then says,

"Well, after several months of making plans, being pinned and prodded for outfits and Mildred and her mom and sisters making secret plans and having meetings that was nothing short of a military meeting that I was not allowed to!

The wedding was planned to be on November 20, and I discovered that asking for Mildred's hand was a whole lot easier than than breathing that day. My friend Alvin was my best man and Mildred's sister Bertha and Rose stood up by her, then I'll never forget the best vision I ever saw...Mildred was coming down the aisle...her dress was this long cream colored dress with a square neckline with wide cream colored ribbons on each shoulder, sleeves, short and full and ribbons in the back and since we were outside, she had on a matching brim hat and she wore gloves.

She was a vision. And I'll never forget the words the preacher said,

_"Do you Sherman Theodore Potter take Mildred Carolyn Moore to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and health,for richer, for poorer, to cherish her all the day of your life, forsaking all others until death do you part?" _

_I proudly smile then say,_

_"Yes, I do"_

_Mildred said her part then the next thing I knew the minister pronounced us man and wife, we kissed and started our lives together. We had a reception over there and she and I celebrated with friends and family and danced many a song but then as it was about time to leave, she said she just wanted one more dance with her daddy._

_We had the band play 'Leave me with a smile' and I can honestly swear that the whole lot of us held our breaths in and watched a beautiful tender moment. Then when the song ended, they went down to the creek and just stayed there, the two of them for a hour, maybe more. Just being father and daughter. I had a strange feeling about it so I just let them._

_Sherman sighs then says,_

_"We got a telegram two weeks later when we were about to leave St. Louis and come back home. Glenn Moore had passed away in his sleep...he had his final heart attack"_

_**Back in 1965-**_

Everyone of them has tears in their eyes as Sherman says his final words then Mildred comes back up there with the two girls, the little girls go sit by Sherman and Mildred softly says,

"I'm going in the house and start supper"

Sherman shakes his head then asks,

"Would everybody mind after we eat, that we be alone?"

Sunshine says,

"Sure, we got the guest room ready. Max and Kim Lee can come over"

Misty then asks,

"Grandpa, can we read?"

He looks down at her and smiles and says,

"Sure"

Sunshine hands him the book off the table and he starts to read Misty the next chapter of _'Black Beauty'_


	22. Chapter 22 Medical School

**A/N-I'm sorry for not updating sooner on this story, I'm having Sherman go into a new direction in his life and it was a little hard. Much thanks to the People's Sgt.!**

**Please read and enjoy...don't forget the little box at the end to click and review!**

All the men, Sherman, Walter, Max , Jerry and Rob were sitting around a large table playing cards when the doorbell rings and Mildred goes to answer and in comes Felix, the French man from the earlier game, the one who somehow reminds everybody of Frank Burns and he comes in with a younger man and he says,

"Good evening Mrs. Potter"

Mildred smiles and says,

"Good evening Felix"

Felix then says,

"It is good to see you Mrs. Potter, you...how they say? Add a ray of sunshine to this place every time I come"

Mildred smiles and he kisses her hand and she blushes then says,

"Oh, thank you and it's Mildred"

All the men roll their eyes in the next room then Mildred says,

"The men are in the next room getting ready for the game"

Felix then says,

"Oh, this is my nephew, Gregoire...Gregoire, this is Mildred"

Gregoire takes her hand and says,

"It is good to meet you Mrs. Potter"

She blushes and walks back further in the house and Sherman whispers then says,

"You can feel that blush from here"

The men smile and Rob passes around the cards then Felix and Gregoire come in and Felix says,

"This is my nephew Felix, I bought him over to meet everybody. Gregoire...this is Sherman, Walter, and um,?"

Walter then says,

"This is Max, he in Korea with me and Dad"

Max can't take his eyes off of Felix then Sherman says,

"Pick the jaw up boy, it's leaving marks on the table"

Max then says,

"He looks exactly like..."

Walter then says,

"We know, Frank"

Sherman then says,

"But he has a chin "

Max and Walter laugh then Felix continues and says,

"This is Rob and Jerry"

Rob and Jerry shake their hands then Felix says,

"Gregoire wants to be a doctor but...he is having...problems, as you say and I was hoping well, that..."

Sherman looks at them then asks Gregoire,

"What problems are you having son?"

Gregoire sits down in a chair then says,

"Well, it's not exactly a problem as my Uncle calls it"

Felix gets a chair and pulls up and sits down and says,

"Gregoire is well, disalusioned of the whole process"

Gregoire looks at his uncle then says,

"Yes, I thought there would be more...to do, it is so far, just books...so boring"

Sherman has to stifle a laugh then he says,

"You need to reign in those oats Gregoire you're wanting to bust out of the stable before the shot is even fired"

The men all look at each other and smile then Sherman takes a sip of a _'Lemon Squash'_ then he says,

"There's a reason they make you do all those pomp and circumstances before we do our first cutting on a patient, would you want somebody doing brain surgery on you and they barely know the difference in a bone and a vein?"

Gregoire gives a slight shake of his head then says,

"Yes"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Same thing was with me...I was raring to go like a bull after a cow but I had to learn to just stay back and graze if I wanted that filly"

Gregoire looks confused at Sherman's simple country explanation then Max says,

"Sir, I think you better explain in in other ways, I don't think our French friend understands the country words"

All the men laugh then Sherman says,

"I'm sorry, let me explain it in other ways. I was just like you in medical school...I wanted the quick, fast ways. I thought all I had to learn was to cut through skin and bone in a certain way and how to do things and I would be out of there. ..."

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Let me tell you about my first few months and also about what happened to a friend of mine..."

Sherman goes back in his mind to the late 1920's and he remembers it all brightly and vividly,

_' I had some good friends in medical school, Alvin was my only friend to come from college and I was happy. At least I had a friend in that sea of endless faces. Alvin and I stuck pretty much to ourselves but there was one guy, his name was Dell Carson, I didn't think much of him. He was a quick guy, always wanted the easy way out, there was a something in him...in a way I was surprised he was even there"_

_Sherman , Alvin and Dell sat in a class full of 20 other men , all trying to become doctors, the top of their class and field._

_The teacher comes out, a tall man with broad shoulders, hair that was graying and he was wearing sliver glasses and he looked at you in such a way that even if you were the biggest man in the room, you would back down and look the to ter way. Down most likely. Anyway, he came in, put his briefcase on the table and said,_

_'Gentleman, if I can call you that...turn your book to page 30'_

_Every man in the room, including me groans at that then he asks,_

_'What is the matter here?'_

_Dell looks at me and I shrug my shoulders then he clears his throat then says,_

_'Well, we have already been over that same page for three months and..."_

_The teacher, whose name was Mister Miller by the way, looks down at Dell and says,_

_"And we will go over it three more months if need be for all of you to learn it Mister Carson. On the test I gave you all, none of you answered not one question from that page correctly. I wouldn't let you operate on my dog if you did not know the basic information on that page. Now, turn to the page!'_

_Dell cringed down at that and never spoke another word, that day or any after.._

_Many a night after that I read page after page until my eyes were blurry at the words._

_One day, we were happily surprised when we were all whisked in a room and all that was in there was this long table. We all looked at each other in wonder then Mister Miller walked in and he said,_

_'Men, we are going to start something today. You now need to know how identify illness's and spots that can signify a illness or disease..."_

_Dell leans over and whispers to me,_

_'Finally, something more than just books!'_

_Dr. Miller looks over at Dell and his glasses slip down his nose and asks, very loudly,_

_"Is there something you want to share with us 'Dr'. Miller?'_

_Dell looks at me and shuffles his feet then says,_

_'Um, no sir'_

_Miller straightens up and walks around to the table then snaps his fingers and in walks 4 guys carrying a body under a sheet, lays it on the table and then he removes the sheet then says,_

_'This young man died of a extreme case of chicken pox...I assume each of you know the symptoms?'_

_Everyone of us says,_

_'Yes, of coarse'_

_Miller walks up and down then he says,_

_'Dr . Potter, tell us'_

_All eyes came on me then I clear my throat then says,_

_'A red, itchy sore resembling insect bites on the face, scalp and chest and back. Then small liquid filled blisters break out and crust over and.."_

_Miller then says,_

_'That's enough. Could you look at a person and tell it?'_

_I clear my throat and feel my heart beat and I say,_

_'I think I could'_

_Our teacher, puffs like a dragon then says,_

_'You need to do more than think! Know! That is why I had this poor, unfornate body bought in. I want each and every one of you to study this body from top to bottom and __**learn!'**_

_He leaves to go sit down and we all go over to the body and Dell whispers to me,_

_'It's a little better...not much'_

_I roll my eyes to Alvin and we go on to do what we have been ordered to do._

_After our teacher was sure that we learned chicken pox, we then learned measles, mumps, every disease that you could see back then then one day, Dell says,_

_'Now what?'_

_Thank the good Lord the teacher didn't hear that but then he said,_

_'Open your book to Page 45'_

_Silent groans were made but we got the book out and did as we were told._

_Later that day, as we were all sitting and relaxing in the nearby park, we were just enjoying the beauty of the day since we didn't get much chance to venture outside of the classroom and lab. At least, we didn't have our lab coats on!_

_I was looking out at the sun and the rays as it landed on the grass and thinking of my new wife back home and Alvin was eating a apple when Dell broke the silence by telling us,_

_"Guys, I made a decision..."_

_We all turned and looked at him and he continued and said,_

_"I'm going to drop out..."_

_Just saying those words were a shock to us and we turned our heads and he answered our questions before we even asked,_

_"I just can't take this constant boredom, I thought there would be more to it"_

_Alvin tells him,_

_'Dell, you don't need to do that! Hell, if I had done that, I would have quit in the first month!"_

_Then I say,_

_"Think of all the time and money you have put in this man"_

_He shakes his head and says,_

_"I made up my mind fellas, I'm not cut out to be a doctor, you guys are. I wish you guys the best of luck"_

_He gets up from the picnic table and leaves, Alvin and I just looked at each other._

**Back in 1965, Sherman says-**

"And that's what happened. We tried to talk him out of it for a few more days but Monday rolled around and he wasn't in class"

Max asks,

"What did the teacher say?"

Sherman thinks on that and he tells them,

"He told me after I graduated that he knew it, he knew somehow that Dell wasn't cut out for this"

Rob passes out the cards for Poker then Gregoire asks,

"Whatever happened to your friend?"

Sherman tells them all,

"He's the works over at the General store as manager, never left Hannibal. Gregoire if you want to be a doctor; you got to stick it out, don't give up and think about what what it will be and you will be in the end. Use some horse sense"

Gregoire asks,

"Horse sense?"

Sherman puts up his hand and says,

"Be smart about it"

They all laugh then they start to play a hand when Jerry says,

"If you think that was bad, you should have been with me in those first few days in dentist school..."

Sherman rolls his eyes then Misty comes and she asks,

"Grandpa, can you read the next chapter to me?"

Sherman smiles and says,

"Deal me out boys, something more important has come up"

He leans over and whispers to Walter,

"And I heard this story a 100 times"

Walter smiles and Sherman gets up and goes off with Misty while Jerry tells his dentist story.

**A/N-Please read and review!**

**The People's Sgt! Please get in touch with me!**

**Sand n' Sable**


	23. Chapter 23 Partners

The next day in the Potter household, all is NOT happy! Sherman and Mildred are arguing...Sunshine and Walter are arguing...Max and his little daughter are arguing...the doorbell rings and Mildred goes to answer it and there stands Hawkeye Pierce and Margaret arguing. They come in the house arguing...Sherman looks around and sees everybody arguing and he says,

"Hold it! Cease! Everybody stop!"

Everybody but Sherman and Mildred just keep arguing then he looks at Mildred then he gives out one of his loud whistles then shouts,

"Cease fire! And I mean it!"

Everybody stops and looks at him and he says,

"Now, I know why Mildred and I are at odds but why is everybody else having shootouts at O.K. mouths?"

They all start arguing telling their version of things then Sherman puts his fingers in his mouth and gives a loud whistle then says in a very loud voice,

"Hold it! Only one egg can crack at a time!..."

He looks at Walter then says,

"You go first son and make it slow"

Radar looks at his wife then says,

"You tell them"

She gives a small, smug smile then says,

"I say we need a new car...he doesn't think so"

Walter then says,

"We just moved here! I just got a new job, we're in a new house! We don't need a new car now!"

Sherman then says,

"Okay, let's just put that on the back burner for now to simmer. Now, let's hear from the Klinger's...Max"

Max looks around then says,

"Well, Kim Lee wants to go see a movie"

They all look at each other then Sunshine asks,

"What movie? A scary one?"

Max looks around then says,

"' A Charlie Brown Christmas' "

Everybody laughs then Margaret says,

"You don't want her to go see 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'? Max!"

He then says,

"Well, I just got here and I don't have time to take her to a movie!"

Sunshine then says,

"That's no problem, I'm taking Misty Saturday so she can go with us"

Kim Lee then says,

"See? I tried to tell you daddy"

She turns and goes into one of the rooms where Misty is and Max says,

"That wasn't the real reason I argued with her, I figured she could go with Sunshine. I just used that as a excuse, I didn't want her to know"

They all look at each other then Margaret says,

"What? he then reluctantly tells them,

"I got a new partner today at work"

Hawkeye then says,

"So? What is it? Is he like a Frank Burns?"

Max then says,

"More like a Francine Burns"

Margaret asks,

"So? Where do you work?"

Sherman then says,

"He delivers dresses"

Margaret and Hawkeye laugh until their sides ache and Max says,

"It may be funny where I'm working but not what's happening to me now!"

Margaret then says,

"What? That you got a female co-worker? I'm supposed to feel sorry for you for that?"

Max then says,

"Well, a lot of those shipments are heavy, what am I supposed to do if a big, heavy shipment of belts come in and she can't lift them because of a broken nail? Or something?"

Margaret says,

"You work it out...Klinger, I can't believe you are being like this after what you saw in Korea"

He defends himself by saying,

"I saw women saving lives, not lifting a 100 lb. box"

Sherman shakes his head and says to Hawkeye,

"Now it's your turn to let it off your shoulders"

"Well, Margaret and I were fighting about..."

Margaret then finishes his sentence by saying,

"He was busy being a pain in the ass!"

Everybody laughs then she goes on to say,

"He has been bugging me every single mile from Crabapple Cove to the very steps to that door about coming!"

Sherman asks,

"You didn't want her to come?"

Hawkeye then says,

"Not the way she came, we drove! We hit every pot and hole between here and Maine! We could have gone on a nice, smooth plane!"

She says,

"I did not want to fly! I'm here ! And I did not have the baby!"

Sherman shakes his head and looks at Mildred then says,

"Hawkeye, you have known Margaret for years, you know she is going to do what she wants to do and she's a strong girl. Why are you arguing?"

Hawkeye points to her belly and says,

"She's never been pregnant before!"

Sherman shakes his head and he says,

"Good point but as you can see, she's here. She's still having a baby...nothing happened so stop wasting your breath to a old man"

Everybody smiles and silently giggles then Sherman says,

"Okay son, let's hash over you and Sunshine...she wants you to buy a car and you don't"

Walter shakes his head then Sherman says,

"Sounds a bit like a fight Mildred and I had when I was in medical school"

Sunshine asks,

"What happened?"

Sherman looks at Mildred and she says,

"Go on, tell them"

Sherman tells them,

"Come on, let's all sit down"

They all sit down around the living room then Sherman says,

"Well, one day after a long day at medical school, I came home dragging and as soon as I came through the door..._Mildred came running up to me and laid a 'glad your home' kiss on me that I gladly received but I had known her long enough to know that something was up._

_She danced around me, taking off my jacket, sitting me down to a fine supper then when I sat down; she bought me my cigar and I knew something was really up then because she hates my cigars and always have'_

_They smile at that and Mildred shakes her head at the memory then Sherman continues,_

_'Well, before I even lit the cigar, I carefully asked her question,_

_'What's going on Mildred?'_

_She innocently looks at me then says,_

_'Well, my friend, Donna Holland came over in her new car, you know Donna. She and her husband live over on the next block'_

_I shake my head then she continues,_

_'Her husband, Ronald, bought themselves a new car. He felt they needed one since he goes on those long business trips...and he's teaching her to drive'_

_I knew something was up so I sit back and lit up and listened,_

_'Yes?'_

_She goes over to wash the dishes and with only 2 people it doesn't take long and she continues her little plan,_

_'He got to thinking and when he is home, he is so tired from those long trips on those sales and he just hates having to take her places so he's starting to teach her, he's ordered her to start out slow...that's why she just drove a block today but she did it'_

_I look at her and smile and say,_

_'And you want me to teach you?'_

_She turns around from the sink and smiles and says,_

_'Would you?'_

_I take another puff of my cigar and say,_

_'I think I'll be sleeping with Luke if I don't.'_

_I sit back in my chair then say,_

_'I think that's a good idea when we get a car'_

_That's when the bomb hit,_

_'Well, honey, that's just the thing..."_

_She throws down the wash rag then comes over close to me and says,_

_"Donna was telling me where they got there roadster and, well, can't we go check it out?"_

_I look at her and say,_

_'Why doesn't Donna mind her own business?'_

_She stands up and shouts,_

_'Sherman!' _

_I stand up, put down my cigar in the ash tray and say,_

_'Mildred, I'm in med school, money is tight and I hear things are going wrong with banks! They say we are heading to a depression!'_

_She then says,_

_'That's why now is the best time to buy a car! When we can!' _

_Then I say,_

_'Mildred...'_

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman then says to all his friends and family,

"The rest of the night was a blur after that"

They all laugh then Sunshine asks,

"What happened after that? Did you get a car?"

Sherman shakes his head and says,

"Yes, we reached a compromise about 3 o'clock, we found somebody that had a 1925 Star Car Sedan for sale. He sold it for a $100. We had it for years...I think we got a picture of it someplace around here"

Mildred gets up to go look for the picture and Sherman says,

"That's what you guys should do. Walter, that car of yours is on it's last legs, I say shoot it and put it out to pasture...go down to the local car lot, pick one out and just put a down payment of $200-300 dollars"

Walter and Sunshine smile at each other then Margaret asks,

"What were you and Mrs. Potter fighting about Col?"

Just then Mildred comes back in the living room with a old photograph of their first car and shows it to everybody and Sherman smiles and says,

"Weather to fry the turkey or bake it"

They all laugh and Misty comes in the room with Kim Lee and they both say,

"Fried!"

They laugh again and Misty says,

"Let's go read 'Black Beauty' Grandpa!"

Kim Lee says,

"Yes, please!"

They both tug on his sleeves to get him up and Sherman says,

"I think I'm being paged, excuse me"

They all smile and laugh with each other and watch Sherman leave with his granddaughters.

**A/N-Kim Lee might not be the granddaughter that Misty is but I don't think Sherman will object to being called grandfather again.**


	24. Chapter 24 Margaret

**A/N-In my last chapter, I wrote down that Max and his daughter were arguing about her going to see 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', I realize that is a T.V. movie from 1965 but can I be excused for the sake of Fan Fiction imagination, please?**

The next day, Thanksgiving, everybody is over at Walter and Sunshine's house even tho a big meal is being made over at the Potter household. Sunshine is giving her friends the grand tour of her new home. Peg and B.J. have arrived and Peg and Margaret and Sunshine are on the top stairs while B.J., Hawkeye, Walter , Sherman and Max are standing around with cigars and glasses of Brandy in hand then Margaret leans over the railing's and says,

"Isn't it a bit early in the day to be drinking?"

B.J. says,

"Oh Margaret, this is only a little toast for the first time we have all been together in years"

Hawkeye then says,

"We've been together but only in bits and pieces, not like this"

Margaret smiles and stands up and looks at Peg then says,

"What are we going to do with them?"

Peg shakes her head then says,

"Nothing, they are impossibe"

Margaret laughs then Hawkeye says,

"I really wish you would get down from there, you are making me uneasy"

Margaret waves it away then says,

"If you had your way, I would be in bed for 24 hours for the duration"

His eyes light up like a naughty child then he says,

"That's not a bad idea for after the baby either"

All the men laugh and Sunshine goes down the stairs and Margaret starts to follow and they hear a noise, Margaret puts one foot on the top step of the stairs when a scooter comes from a room and Peg sees that it is going straight for Margaret and she screams,

"Margaret!"

Sunshine turns and before Margaret can get out of the way, the scooter hits her in the back of the legs and she goes falling and Sunshine tries to catch her but misses and Margaret goes rolling down the stairs. Every heart in the room stops and Hawkeye gives his cigar and drink to B.J. and runs and tries to get his woman.

Sunshine screams and Sherman yells,

"Somebody call for a ambulance!"

Max gets himself into action, he runs over to the telephone, dials furiously and says,

"Get me the hospital!...yes, we need a ambulance at..."

Walter yells out,

"1609 Hillsberry Road!"

Max repeats it to the hospital operator then hangs up and runs over where everybody is, or most everybody and Hawkeye gently holds Margaret who is unconscious. Sunshine runs up to her scared daughter and she yells,

"How many times have I told you not to play with that thing in the house!"

Tears come to Misty's little eyes and she says,

"But I wasn't Momma! I was just getting it out of the way for Kim Lee to play!"

Sunshine runs back down to Margaret and her friends while the ambulance makes it whining sound closer and closer.

Later at the hospital, everybody sits around waiting. Some of the men are pacing while Sherman sits with little Misty's head in his lap, Mildred sitting beside him and Kim Lee sleeping in her lap then Hawkeye breaks the silence by asking,

"What's going on? It's been hours!"

Sherman speaks up,

"Easy son, you are a doctor, you know these things take awhile"

Hawkeye grunts and resumes pacing then Sunshine says,

"Pop, tell us a story"

He looks at her then says,

"A story? At this time?"

Walter then says,

"Yes, your stories help pass the time, we all love them. Come on pop, please?"

He smiles then says,

"Well, this is reminding me of the first time I delivered a baby"

B.J. says,

"When was that? when you became a doctor?"

Sherman looks at him and says,

"No, _before_ I was a doctor"

They all look confused and Sherman says,

"It was in my first year of medical school..."

Everybody anxiously listens as Sherman recounts his days,

_"I had just got out of class and I was feeling like that buddy of mine who quit medical school a few months earlier. I was coming home after a long day in classes and it was getting boring like Dell had complained but life was about to change._

_Back then, in those days, we lived in a apartment building in while I was going to the medical school. I was dragging my ass...I stopped at the end of the walk and looked up at the building, it was in need of repair and I had said something to the owner about me doing it in exchange for the rent. I'm telling you, I was tempted to quit medical school and become a full time carpenter._

_Anyway, I opened the door and walked to the stairs and I wasn't looking foreward to walking up them but did and thank God, we lived on the first floor. I opened the door and there stood Mildred and her friend Donna, the one who convinced her that we needed to buy a car._

_Donna was also nine months pregnant. about to pop at any minute. Mildred was over in the small kitchen getting supper together and Donna looked at me and she said,_

_'Oh, hi Sherman. I've been spending some time with Mildred, I won't be able to when the baby comes.'_

_I shook my head in politeness...I couldn't wait for her to go._

_She turned and started to go but then she stopped at the door and her face grimaced in pain and Mildred asked her,_

_'Donna, are you okay?'_

_Donna shakes her head no then says,_

_'My water...it hurts'_

_My head snapped up and I knew exactly what it meant. Labor. She was in labor. I said,_

_'I'm going for the doc'_

_I start to go past her when she grabs me by my arm and she says in between pieces of hard breathing,_

_'No...let's just...go...can't wait...for doc'_

_Mildred goes over and gets her and tells me,_

_'Let's just get the car honey, it will be faster'_

_Even at 26 years of age I knew better than to argue with a woman in labor and my own wife, I would have been more daffy than a duck! So I got up and went and warmed up our car. When I came back up, Mildred had a cool rag on Donna's head and we helped her down to the car and in the back seat then I jumped in the driver's seat and said,_

_"It shouldn't take long, doc lives at the edge of town"_

_Mildred asks her friend while patting the rag all over her face,_

_'Honey, are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?'_

_Donna shakes her head then says,_

_'No, let's...go to doc's'_

**Back in 1965, Sherman explains,**

"Donna had a fear of hospital, not of doctors and such but something happened to make her terrified of hospitals...wish we had Sidney back then"

B.J. and the boys smile knowing what he means while Hawkeye paces while listening,

**Back in 1927-**

_'We started out and while we were driving a storm stated...we were hoping it was just going to be a little Missouri storm but we were mistaken...big time...by the time we got to the bridge to the doc's, it became a full scale bluster of a storm! I was doing my best to handle the car and I thought things were going smoothly when we saw something we have never seen again!_

_Lightening struck the side of the wood bridge and it fell down into the water and we all watched it float away on that rough water and we were hoping it was a bad dream but it wasn't looked around then she says,_

_'The old Clemmons farm is over there! Let's go Sherman!'_

_I look down at the old abandoned farmstead and I say,_

_'There's just the barn! The house burned down in '20! What do we need to go over there for?'_

_Mildred impatiently says,_

_'Shelter! We can hide out from the storm in there!'_

_Donna gives out a high pitched squeal/ scream and I quickly drive over to the barn then get out in the downpour and help Donna out with Mildred following. _

_When we first got in the barn we looked around , half the barn was filled with hay bales, so we rested on them and I would say for the first hour, we just sat around drying off and listening to the rain, wind and thunder._

_Then in the middle of it all, Donna started screaming!,_

_'Ahkkkkk!'_

_Both Mildred and I jump up and we ask,_

_'What is it?'_

_Donna manages to get out,_

_'The...baby..."_

_Before she even says another word,_

_Mildred hollers out,_

_'It's coming Sherman!'_

_I look over and I see something I thought I never would and I really wish I didn't but the baby's head was crowning so I crouch in position, yell at Mildred to hold her hands and help her legs be held up then after a couple of times of encouraging Donna to push, the baby came out. A healthy, strapping boy and when I spanked that little pink bottom, a scream came out that was even louder than the thunder coming from the skies!_

_Mildred looked around the barn and found a clean rag that we bundled the little fella in and I gave her to her mother.' _

_After the storm was over, we took Donna and the baby to the doctor and it became big news about me deliverin' the baby. After that, there wasn't even any doubts anymore about me becoming a doctor...I just took the rest of my courses, boring or not, and that was that.' _

_**Back in 1965-**_

Everybody laughs and you can feel the sweet relief in the room then Walter asks,

"What did your teacher think of you doing that? Your teacher in medical school?"

Sherman laughs a little then says,

"All he said was good job then told me to turn to page 145!"

They all laugh then a doctor comes up to the group and asks,

"Who is here for Margaret Holihan?"

Hawkeye stands up and says,

"I am"

The doctor then says,

"Miss Holihan is going to be fine...I prescribe bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy but that's all"

A huge sigh is given in the room then Hawkeye asks,

"Can I go see her?"

The doctor smiles then says,

"Yes, but only for a few minutes"

Hawkeye breaks out into one of his huge grins then gets up and almost runs to her room then Walter says,

"I knew everything would be okay"

Everybody laughs and Misty wakes up, she rubs her little eyes and she asks,

"Daddy? How is Miss Margaret?"

Walter shakes his head then says,

"She'll be okay baby"

She smiles and says,

"Oh, good..."

She turns and looks up at her grandfather with love then says,

"Grandpa? Can you read me the book?"

Sherman then says,

"Well, why don't we go home and read it?"

She smiles and says,

"Okay"

Sherman takes Misty by the hand and Mildred picks up a still sleeping Kim Lee and Max follows them as does Sunshine and Radar walking hand in hand.

B.J. and Peg just put their arms around each other and walk out.

Back in the hospital room, Hawkeye gently sits on the bed and Margaret wakes up and she says,

"Hi"

He smiles then says,

"You gave me a scare, gave everybody a scare"

She says in a sleepy voice,

"I'm sorry"

He just smiles and kisses her hand then says,

"When are we going to tell everybody our plan?"

She just smiles.

**A/N-This is my longest chapter, I know! I meant to put the chapter number and title of Black beauty in, I didn't get to, I'm sorry.**


	25. Chapter 25 Nothing Spoils the day

The next day at the Potter household, a long table is set in their living room and being lovingly set for a Thanksgiving celebration even tho its not Thanksgiving day. Unfortunately, they were in the hospital with the scare of Margaret falling down the stairs so they are celebrating the day after.

Sunshine and Mildred are setting the table and all the guests sit down, including the good Father Francios Malcuhy and Hawkeye sits beside him and Sherman across from him and they all are laughing and having a good time then Margaret comes in the room and goes to sit down by Hawkeye . Hawkeye then says,

"I really wish you had stayed in the hospital"

She waves it away then says,

"I can rest just as much upstairs"

Hawkeye then asks with his hands pointing upstairs,

"Then why aren't you UPSTAIRS?"

She rolls her eye then flatly says,

"Because I'm here...get over it"

Everybody snickers then Sherman says,

"Son, you are fighting a losing battle, just raise the white flag of surrender"

Everybody laughs then Father Mulcahy says,

"I wish I was able to be here for you yesterday Margaret"

She looks at him and says,

"You couldn't have done anything but sit around and worry"

He puts his hat down then says,

"Yes, but worry is what I do best"

They all laugh then B.J. and Peg come in and watch Erin and their twins go up the stairs to where Misty and Kim Lee are then they walk over to the table and Sunshine says,

"Oh Peg! I love your new hairstyle!"

She smiles and her hand runs over the back. Her hair is now in a fresh, new bob look and she says,

"Yes, the beauty shop at the hotel was open this morning so I went in and..."

She does both her hands in a open wave and she says,

"I love it but I don't think B.J. does"

He gives a small grunt but still 'smiles' then Sherman says,

"I don't know why you didn't stay and one of our houses"

B.J. looks around then says,

"Oh, you know, I didn't think a big family like ours should be around...we take up a lot of room"

Everybody tries to smile and wave it off but a unsettling feeling comes in the room then the doorbell rings and Max says,

"I'll go get it"

Max gets up and strides over to the door and as soon as he opens the door, this huge man falls onto Max's arms, he has red hair cut in a army crew cut...a three day old five o'clock shadows and he reeks of whiskey. The women in the room scream and the drunken man "stands" up and he screams,

"Sherman Potter! You old man! Why weren't you at my house yesterday!"

Sherman's face is blood red from anger and he yells,

"Damnation spurs Jacob! We ain't family! I didn't know I had to check my schedule with you!"

Just then Myron comes in with tears streaming down his face and he says,

"Dad! Why do you do this to mom?"

Hawkeye asks his former boss,

"Who is that?"

Barely able to speak because of his anger, Sherman hisses out,

"Reuben Byrone, Mryron's father...neighbor...if you can call him that"

Max tries to control the man but he flings his arms away then says,

"Leave me alone! I can handle myself"

The man who can handle himself, "throws" a punch at Max who easily ducks it and the man flings out a string of cuss words then Sherman says,

"Get him out of here before I..."

Mildred puts her hand on her husbands shoulder and looks at young Myron then Sherman composes himself a little then says in gritted teeth,

"Just get him out of here"

Max stands up and gets a hold of the man's jacket, jerks it up and says,

"Come on Radar, let's take him home"

Walter shakes his head and goes on and Mryon wipes away his tears and when they all finally leave, Sunshine puts her hand over her heart and says,

"THANK GOD Misty and the kids were upstairs!"

Peg shakes her head in agreement then Sunshine says,

"He was so mean! I've never seen such a mean drunk!"

Sherman smiles and says,

"And that was one of his nice days"

Hawkeye whistles then Margaret says,

"As much as I have seen you all drunk back in Korea, I've never seen any of you mean "

Hawkeye smiles and says,

"None of us have a mean bone in our bodies...besides there was too much mean elsewhere"

Everybody silently agrees then Max and Walter come back in and sit down and Sherman asks,

"Got Reuben down?"

Max grunts then says,

"Yeah, he's sleeping it off"

Walter shakes his head then says,

"I felt so bad for Myron, I don't think he'll quit crying for hours"

Max shakes his head and then he says,

"Yes and his mother was just sitting at the table staring out the kitchen window, she didn't say a word the whole time when we were putting her husband to bed"

Sherman says,

"Poor lady has been through a lot over the years with him"

Margaret asks,

"Has anybody tried to help him?"

Sherman and Mildred look at each other then Sherman says sadly,

"Everybody in town from the highest to the lowest . There are some people who just can't be help...I had to find that out the hard way"

B.J. an Peg look at each other and B.J. wipes the sweat off his forehead then Margaret asks,

"What happened?"

Sherman thinks a minute then he says,

_'Well, I had just finished my first year of medical school and Alvin, myself and some of my other friends from medical school got together and went to a local bar, more like a hole in the wall but it was called..."_

_He thinks on it then says,_

_'Melton's Place...one of the guys name was Eugene...Eugene Farris...Eugene had been a good fella to hang around with for that past year...he was like the class clown of us all, kept things a little light when things got heavy. But that night was strange...the rest of us were carrying on; laughing, joking...some clean, some not so clean._

_Alvin and another guy that was with us...Henry was his name, played darts for money most of the night...drinks were flowing fast and hard, each one of the boys paid for each round but ( he laughs ) we were still holding our own._

_One of the boys, looked over at Eugene and he leaned over to Eugene who looked like a dark cloud that was about to burst of thunder and the boy said to him,_

_'Hey, w-what's with you? Yer lo-look-looking like a m-mole on the bottom of a old mule'_

_Eugene looks at him with disgust then elbows him and I say,_

_'Hey, watch it, he's j-ust ask-asking you a question"_

_Eugene looks at me and he says,_

_'Yeah, well, he needs to get out of my face, he smells like a old beer factory"_

_I take a another big sip then ask,_

_'What is bother-ing y-ou? Why did you e-even come? You're not celebrating a-an-anything"_

_He is silent for a few minutes then he says,_

_'Nothing to celebrate, at least not on my part'_

_I look at him and ask,_

_'Did-didn't you finish?'_

_He gives a sneer and laugh then says,_

_'Yeah, I finished..."_

_He gets out a piece of paper from his shirts pocket then opens it and throws it down and very loudly says,_

_'I finished all right...I pretty much know I got the lowest grades in class, I'll be lucky if they don't kick me out next year. From the word I hear everybody here got the highest grades in class, even those two lackys playing dart drunk'_

_I take a drink then I say something that sets off a ring of motion for the rest of the night,_

_'W-why don...'t you j-ust study m-more ( blech ) and get better grades and go pa-ast each of us faster than a cy-cyclecar?'_

_Eugene's face turns two shades of rage, his eyes locked on me sharper than a sewing needle and he quickly stands up and turns the table ...fortunately , I still had my drink in hand...Eugene screams,_

_'That's all I do is study! I'm barely hanging on as it is! You guys come along and make it look as easy as playing drums in a nursery kiddie class!'_

_He then quickly gets out a razor blade and waves it around...I couldn't figure out how he was talking so clear and handling that knife when I saw for myself how much he was drinking, he drank three times as I or any of the guys! The boy sitting next to Eugene had finally passed out from drink and fright when he turned over that table but I got my nerve up and kept talking to the snarling man and Alvin and Henry carefully walks over like mice and get Eugene's arms in a vice and I go over there and punch the daylights out of him._

_One of the guys knew where he lived and we took him home and put him in bed like a child._

_Later on, I told each and every one of those guys that the next time one of them invites Eugene with us for a night on the town, I would personally give them a punch that would make them feel like a mule had kicked them!"_

**Back in 1965-**

Everybody laughs then Margaret asks,

"What ever happened to Eugene?"

Sherman gives a sigh then says,

"Well, he was right...he would have been kicked out of school but not for his grades...he was hooked on Morphine and refused to admit that anything was wrong so doing that...drinking...he was dead 6 months after that"

Everybody goes quiet then Mildred and Sunshine come in with a HUGE turkey and Mildred says,

"Eveything's ready!"

Everybody claps their hands then Walter hollers for the kids to come down and the kids come running down like a pack of hungry wolves!

Everybody eats and passes food around and laugh and share good times with each other.

Slowly, everybody leaves. Sunshine helps Mildred clean up while Margaret and Hawkeye go up to their room to retire and so does Max and Kim Lee. Misty goes over to her grandpa and asks as tender as she can,

"Grandpa? Can we read **'Black Beauty'**

He smiles then says,

"Sure we can honey"

She goes and gets the book and they go and settle on the couch and he opens the book and says,

"_Chapter 25- Reuben Smith..."_

He then does a small chuckle and shakes his head at the coincidence and confused then Misty asks,

"What is it grandpa?"

"Oh, not a thing, let's just start reading"

She snuggles up to him and he starts the chapter.

**Reviews please!**

**Sand n' Sable**


	26. Chapter 26 Reuben, Luke and Lucy

Sherman and Mildred were sleeping in bed when a loud shot is heard from next door. Sherman and his wife sit straight up in bed and look around in horrified confusion. Max is still sitting up reading when the shot rings out, he turns to look out the window and looks over and his young daughter still sleeps through it. Hawkeye comes running out of the guest bathroom that is connected to the room that they are staying in, Margaret is turning down the bed covers when she stops midway.

They all grab their housecoats and run out , Walter comes driving home from work and when he hears the shot, he stops at his adopted father's house fearing the worst but when he sees Sherman and Mildred, he breaths a sigh of relief. Sunshine comes running as hard as she can and Walter gets out and runs to her and he asks,

"Honey, where's Misty?"

Trying to catch her breath she says,

"Still sleeping, I was out on the back porch when I heard the shot. What happened?"

Max says,

"I don't know, it came from down the block!"

Myron comes running out of his house with streaks of tears down his face and he yells,

"Help! Daddy is hurt!"

Sunshine runs to him and holds him and the men run and look in and see Reuben laying in his own blood with his wife looking on in disbelief. Hawkeye runs over and checks his pulse then says,

"He's dead"

They hear sirens coming closer in the background and they all look at each other in shock and the only sound that is heard is Myron crying.

Later that morning, they are all sitting on the porch and just as the sun comes up, Sunshine finally walks up and you can tell that she is beat. Walter goes to help his wife walk up and Mildred asks,

"How is he?"

Sunshine nods her head yes then says,

"I finally got him to sleep...he cried himself to sleep, clutching his teddy bear and crying for daddy"

Mildred asks Sherman,

"What do you think happened?"

Sherman sadly shrugs his shoulders then says,

"You saw the gun...he killed himself"

Mildred hands Sunshine some coffee then asks,

"You don't think his wife could have...?"

Sunshine takes a sip then says,

"No, from what Myron did tell me; he and his mother were in his room getting ready for bed when his father...did it"

Sunshine then asks,

"Where's Misty?"

Walter then says,

"She woke up at 4 to go to the bathroom then I bought her over here, she had to bring Lucy"

Margaret asks,

"Lucy?"

Walter then smiles and says,

"Her pet hamster"

They all sit back and try to recollect their thoughts after the long night then Mildred asks,

"What will happen to the poor boy?"

Sherman then says,

"That's what I'm afraid of, if his mother doesn't pull herself together..."

Mildred then says in horror,

"They may take him and put him in one of those horrid institutions!"

Sunshine asks,

"Can they do that?"

Sherman sadly shakes his head then says,

"I've seen them do it"

Margaret then asks,

"What are you going to do?"

Sherman looks at Hawkeye then says,

"I'm not going to waste any time...I'm calling for help...Hawkeye, what time is it in New York?"

Hawkeye looks at his watch then says,

"About 8...are you thinking of what I think you're thinking?"

Sherman shakes his head then says,

"Yes, I'm going to make a call"

He gets up and goes inside to the phone with the others following and listening to his side of the conversation.

"Hello? Yes, I'm sorry if I disturbed you...oh, fine...she's fine too. Hawkeye is here and so is Margaret. No, she hasn't had it yet...Hawkeye says she's holding it hostage..."

They all laugh and Hawkeye's words then Sherman says,

"There's a case here that I think you need to come and help us and I think it's just exactly what you need for your paper anyway...yes, right here in Hannibal, in fact it's our neighbor, her husband killed himself last night. You can? We'll be waiting, bye"

He hangs up the phone then looks at his odd family of sorts then says,

"Well, Sidney's coming...all we can do now is sit back and wait"

The breath a sigh of relief and go back out to the porch while Mildred goes to the kitchen to start breakfast.

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A little while later, Walter walks back into the Potter living room and he sees Sherman sitting in his chair reading a 'Zane Grey' book and he smiles then he clears his throat and says,

"I'm taking Sunshine back to the house to sleep for awhile, is it okay if I leave Misty here?"

Sherman puts down his book then says,

"Yeah, Mildred went back to sleep, Hawkeye and Margaret went to visit with B.J. and I'm just sitting here trying to catch up on Zane...just leave her, she's fine"

Radar smiles then turns and leaves and for the next hour and a half, Sherman just quietly sits and reads until finally, he falls asleep. His glasses on his nose then the quiet is broken by a heartbreaking cry,

"Grandpa!"

He wakes up to see Misty standing in the door frame with deep streaks of tears down her little face...this time no thunderstorm is taking place so he knows something is wrong, did she somehow find out about Myron's dad?

So he puts his old arms out and he says,

"Come here"

She runs over to him with out any hesitation and when she is in his lap, he lets her cry some more then she asks her,

"What's wrong?"

She says in broken breaths and her voice is already scratched from crying but she says,

"L-Lucy...she won't, won't move! I think she's dead!"

His heart breaks for his grand daughter and he says,

"I'm sorry, her heart ... just gave out"

The little girl cries some more then she asks,

"Why? Why do they have to die Grandpa?"

He tenderly tells her,

"Misty, all things die...it's just how the world goes...things die for the new ones to come in"

She sniffles then asks,

"Did you ever have a pet die grandpa?"

He leans his head back on the couch then says,

"I sure have...do you remember 'Luke', the horse I talk about a lot?"

She shakes her head and brushes a tear away and he tells her,

_'Well, that summer when I finished the first year of school, I rode Luke a lot, I had all that free time so I rode...felt good too with the wind in my face but I knew that summer was coming and he didn't need to ride in all that heat so there was days I just stayed with him...brushed him down until he was purely shining! Mildred didn't know this because she wouldn't have liked me doing this but once in a while, I sneaked around and got him a good bag of feed from the feed store..."_

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman and Misty share a mischievous laugh over that-

_'Well, one day in August, I went down to the stable and I was going to take him out for a walk, I even grabbed the reigns and I was whistling, feeling right good and snappy but when I got to the stable door and opened it, my heart dropped flatter than a pancake. There was my beautiful red and white horse laying on the ground and I knew from the cloud in his eyes that he was dead._

_I didn't want to face it but I now knew it, my horse had got old over the years...he had a lot of grey hairs that I haven't noticed before...I just stayed there sitting in the loose dirt for hours just petting him...roaming my hands all over his fine frame and even tho he was old, he was in fine shape._

_I finally saw that the sun was going down and I knew what I had to do so I got the old shovel in the corner and I went out to the field and I buried him. It took a while because a grave for a horse takes a mite bit of doing but I did it finally and I don't know how I did it but I got my horse in the ground'_

**Back in 1965-**

"Did you say a prayer grandpa?"

He gives a little chuckle and he hugs her then says,

"As I matter of fact, I did. I said..._'Lord, I don't know if you allow animals in or not...seems I remember something about a lion and a lamb my maw told me once. Luke is a good horse and I bet my bottom dollar that he'll do good for you up there...don't know what else to say Lord ...Amen.'_

_Then I tipped my hat and went home, told your grandmother about it and cried all night.'_

**Back in 1965-**

He then stops his story then asks her,

"Do you know what we have to do now?"

She sniffs and wipes a tear away then says in a low voice,

"We have to bury Lucy"

He sadly nods his head and they go to the kitchen, he rummages around in the shelves until he finds a empty match box then they go to the guest room and over to the little hamster cage, see Lucy's still little body then put her in the matchbox but first Misty wraps her in a few pieces of tissue and Sherman smiles at her then he takes Misty's little hand and they go out to the back...he finds a garden spade and they walk down to a old oak tree and Mildred has pink flowers planted all around and cement blocks to hold them in and Sherman buries the little hamster there.

Neither Sherman nor Misty knows, but Mildred quietly watches the whole thing.

Sherman and Misty sit down in the swing then Sherman asks her,

"What do you want to do now?"

She thinks on it then says,

"Let's go read 'Black Beauty'"

He looks at her then asks,

"Are you sure?"

She nods her head firmly and says,

"Yes"

So they go in the house and go into the living room and sit down in a chair and Sherman pulls out his velvet covered copy of the book and turns to Chapter 26 but sees how it is talking about the death of the character Reuben that he read about yesterday so he quickly figures that he better not read that little chapter so he goes to Chapter 27 and he reads **'Ruined, and going Downhill'**. He reads it then Kim Lee comes down and she sees her friend and say,

"Hey, let's go eat and go play"

Misty looks at her and smiles then says, "Okay". She gets down and runs to her friend and they walk hand in hand to the kitchen and Sherman smiles and his heart swells with pride.

**A/N-I have cried and cried writing this chapter, please read and review!**

**Sand n Sable**


	27. Chapter 27 It will ruin you

Sherman is outside in his shed and he has fishing supplies all around him and he is looking over a bamboo pole and other fishing poles are around, some on the floor and some standing up against the wall then Walter comes quietly walking up and he looks then asks,

"What are you doing?"

Sherman looks at him then says,

"Hawkeye and I thought we might get some fishing in Saturday...I was just getting some of my gear together"

Walter looks closely at the bamboo rod Sherman is looking over and he runs his fingers over the wood then he says,

"I've never seen anything like this"

Sherman smiles and he says,

"And you won't. Gerskty made this for me after WW 2 back in Scotland, made out of some wood called Latche I think it is"

Walter puts his hand in his pocket then says,

"I've heard of it"

Sherman puts the pole carefully against the wall then both he and Walter go to sit on the steps of the shed and they look around at the trees outside and feel a cool November breeze on them then Walter looks at him then says,

"What happened to Gerskty and your other friend...Ginger?"

Sherman looks at him and smiles and says,

"Well, I told you that he died while in Tokyo while I was in Korea but before that, he had a hell of a life" "How so?" Walter asks.

Sherman looks at him and smiles as he thinks about his next words.

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At that time, over at a hotel in Hannibal, Hawkeye, Margaret, B.J. and Peg sit around in a living room at a hotel laughing and talking then Hawkeye notices how quiet B.J. has become and has moved to the other end of the couch and gets a napkin and holds it to his mouth then Hawkeye looks at Margaret and Peg and Peg shields her eyes in embarrassment then he asks,

"B.J., what's going on? we were sitting and talking then suddenly you moved down and quit talking, I've only known you to do that when you have a drink in your hand"

That catches Peg's attention and she looks up at him then over at B.J. and sees how he is trying to mentally cause everything to go away and the anger and frustration in him that is building then she explodes and yells out,

"B.J. ! Tell them for God's sake!"

He tries to force some fake laughter to come out and he wipes his brow then says,

"Tell them what? Nothing's wrong ..."

He waves his hand and says,

"Peg is just in a hurry to get back to California, you know these California girls...they have to have their 24 hour a day sun"

Peg stands up and gets the couch pillow and throws it down on the floor then says,

"It is not my problem!..."

Peg turns to her guests and she says,

"Hawkeye, Margaret...do you know why Erin and the twins aren't here?"

They shake their heads then Peg tells them,

"As soon as they woke up, they begged me to take them over to Kim Lee's ! They barely know the child and they would rather go over to a stranger's house than to stay here with their father"

B.J. wipes sweat from his brow then says,

"They just want to go play, there's nothing they can do in this hotel"

She rolls her eyes and slaps her thighs then says,

"It's because their father is a alcoholic!"

A heavy bomb is in the room and Margaret and Hawkeye look at each other then B.J. gets up and walks away and he says,

"That's nonsense. I may get drunk but...as Hawkeye knows, there's a lot to get drunk about"

Hawkeye then says,

"Actually B.J., that was in Korea, there was a lot to drink about over there. But truth be told, Margaret won't let me drink"

B.J. laughs a little to much at his friends weak joke and Margaret lightly hits Hawkeye then he says,

"The truth is, I don't want to drink...I got Margaret becoming my wife in a few weeks and a new baby, hopefully not on the same day but you never know"

B.J. walks around like a caged tiger then he says,

"Bully for you but just because I like to have a drink now and then, does not make me a alcoholic!"

Peg screams,

"Bull****! Everyday for the past 5 years he has been nothing but drunk! The only reason he doesn't have a glass of scotch in his hand now is because he wanted to 'prove' to me this week that he can go without it! And now, look at him!"

Hawkeye stands up and he says,

"Good God, I thought there was something wrong, how your letters and phone calls have been lately...how you acted yesterday when that guy burst in at the Col.'s...the story..."

B.J. interrupts him by saying,

"Just because I haven't written everyday for the last 6 months doesn't mean..."

Hawkeye then says,

"No, it's not that! You have, the letters! He can write ...he can make nothing into something for two pages...you know what this reminds me of don't you?..."

He turns his head to Margaret and says,

"That friend of yours back in Korea that went into the shakes"

A light goes off in Margaret's eyes and she says,

"Yes! B.J. You got to face this"

She starts to walk over to him and Peg yells out,

"This is going to ruin you B.J.! You already lost your practice!"

Margaret and Hawkeye both shout out in shock,

"What?"

B.J. shakes his head then says,

"It isn't lost! It's just..."

Peg then says,

"Oh no! You are just down to your last patient!"

Margaret gets closer to B.J. and he turns around and he doesn't see his best friends girl behind him so he turns around with his fists flying and he is saying,

"There is noth..."

He realizes he almost hits her. Her eyes is bulging out and Hawkeye runs over to her and he says,

"B.J.!"

He falls down crying like a little child and Peg goes over and tenderly puts her arms around her husband, wipes the sweat from his hair and starts crying with him and Margaret and Hawkeye stand by with tears in their eyes.

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Back with Sherman and Walter, Sherman smiles at the memory of his friend and says,

"Well, things were a little bit more..."

Sherman searches for the word he should use then says,

"Friendly, I guess you could say with Ginger and Grestky...oh, nothing was serious for a long time, Ginger was barely a teenager and Grestky was 21 but they wrote each other for years. She was in France and he in Scotland so it was easier for them to ...keep in touch"

Walter shakes his head and they watch Misty come out of the house and run around and play then Sherman goes on with the love story of the past.

"Then one day, according to what he told me, Ginger wrote him of health symptoms she was having headaches, fatigue, swelling in her joints and it couldn't be seen, one of the nuns found it on her back, a red lesion with rings around it...she couldn't get proper health care in the orphanage and since she was nearly 18...what she could get, well...she was about to lose so he went over there and got her and bought her back to Scotland"

Walter then asks him,

"What was wrong with her?"

Sherman scratches his chin and says,

"Well, over here we call it Tick fever...we are doing more studies on it as time goes by but as that time, not too much was known and she was treated like she had the plague in France so it helped Greskty in his determination to become a doctor to keep this from ruining her life. He made many advances in it in Europe and both of them was treated as medical royalty!"

"So what happened to her?".

Sherman gets a little sad in his eyes then he says,

"Well, he died as I told you while I was in Tokyo, had a heart attack and he hung on long enough for Ginger to get there then he just...died. She just lived for 6 years after that and I guess the infection in her body finally just took over her body so I like to think of the both of them as holding hands in some large piece of Scottish land in the sky"

Walter smiles at that and Sherman thinks about something then says,

"I hear she has a niece that was raised in France, sure would like to meet the little madamonislle some day"

Misty comes over to them and she gets her little daddy by the hand and she says,

"Come on daddy! Momma must be awake by now! Let's go check on her!"

Walter smiles at her enthusiasm and gets up and Misty looks at her grandfather then says,

"Grandpa? Can I come over after while and read the next chapter of 'Black Beauty?"

Sherman smiles at his granddaughter and he says,

"Sure" "Yeah!" She then pulls her daddy to go over to their house and Sherman just smiles as he watches.

**A/N-My hometown is somehow getting more and more people getting Lyme's ( tick fever ) and we even have one of the only known case of nerulogical lyme's in Louisiana. I had to bring this somehow and I hope I have done it justice.**

**Please be careful, it comes from the deer tick in the U.S. and it comes from different ticks in the U.K.. **

**B.J. will get better, I'll address it in another chapter!**

**Read and review please.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	28. Chapter 28 Sherman and Hawkeye

Both Sherman and Hawkeye are standing on the bank of a river, Sherman is holding a fishing pole that he was showing Walter the other day and is trying to reel in a fish that he has on the line. Hawkeye stands to the side and yells, "Go to the left! Now to the right! Good! You're doing great! "

Sherman smiles and he yells out, "I'm going to bring that sucker in, fillet him and slap him on the fire quicker than you can say 'Jonah, open your mouth!"

The men laugh and carry on like little boys and Sherman finally reels him in. Sherman holds the rainbow trout firmly in his hands, takes the hook out of the fish's mouth and proudly says, "A good seven pound if I do say" Hawkeye laughs and slaps him on the back and they sit down still laughing and trying to catch their breath than Hawkeye asks,

"I've bet you have never worked that hard before". Sherman laughs than says, "Oh, I've had rougher times skimming rocks across the pond! Ha! I'll tell you about a really rough time sometime" He gently hits his friend on the arm and he puts the fish in a bucket then Hawkeye says, "Oh, come on daddy , tell me a story! You tell Misty" Sherman laughs then says, "She's my granddaughter ! You're supposed to be an adult" Hawkeye gives a little pout and Sherman says, "Okay, okay. But it won't be about fishing, this is going to be a about a really hard time I had. I was going into my second year of medical school, I was doing my job as a carpenter and Mildred had told me some news" Hawkeye looks at him and asks, "What did she tell you?"

Sherman looks at him and says, "That she was pregnant" . Hawkeye looks confused then asks, "I thought you said that Evy was born after you finished med school" Sherman puts up his hand then says, "Hold on. I'll get to it..."

Sherman gets comfortable in his seating then he says, "We were going into the winter of '27 and_ I remember coming home one day from classes just as dragging as a tired pony from working in the mines all day. I remember just letting my books just falls to the ground and falling in the chair, after I had laid back and regained my senses; I reached in the cigar box I had next to my chair and pulled one out. I had lit it and was sitting back and enjoying taking in that fire in my lungs and watching the lazy rings of smoke come out when I spied Mildred around the corner looking like a child caught with her hands in the cookie jar! I looked at her and said, 'Mildred, come on out'._

_She did but she still had that sheepish look about her, she hadn't put her hair up in a bun so it was flowing nice and bouncy and covering up a bit of her eye to give her that coy look, you know what I mean. Anyway, she came over to me, sat down and carefully took care not to wrinkle her skirt...I could tell she wanted to tell me something and was nervous as a newborn kitten. I finally asked her as softly as I could, "What's wrong Mildred?' . By that time, my heart was running pretty dang fast and so, she took my hand in hers then said, I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how you'll take it'_

_My thoughts were racing, I didn't know what she would say but finally she said, 'I'm pregnant'. Everything stopped then...my breathing...the birds singing outside our window...time...I just could not believe what she was telling me so then after several long seconds, I asked, 'What?' She took a deep breath then said, 'You heard me Sherman, I'm having a baby'_

_She took her hands back and started wringing them in worry and then I jumped up and hollered, 'Whoooo!' THen I picked up her and twirled her around then quickly put her down and said, 'Sorry' to the baby then started dancing or doing a version of dancing! Ha! Mildred was laughing and crying then she said, ' I didn't know how you would take the news, we talked about waiting until after you finish school' I put down the cigar and say, 'We did, but sometimes these things can't be helped...I'm feeling about as proud as stallion who just had a load of ponies!'_

_Mildred just can't make up her mind what to do like most women in that situation so she just keeps laughing and crying like a kitten after her mother!'_

**Back in 1965-**Sherman and Hawkeye laugh about it then Sherman continues.

_'Well, after that night; I really got on my studies and was determined to learn everything I could and when I wasn't at school or with my book in a nose, I was working on that hotel we were living in and it seemed like everything at one time or another was breaking down or getting lose, coming apart and tearing up. I was starting to think a voodoo curse was on me at that time! _

_On top of that, I had to get Mildred to her doctor appointments since I only gave her a driving lesson for a time or two._

_Then I came home, just like I did when she told me...only this time...she told me some news that I knew by her face wasn't any good. She was sitting in the window seat and she was crying. I could feel the pain in her heart as deep as if somebody had put a nail in mine...I went over to her and sat down, looked at her in her deep blue ocean eyes that had waves in them and I asked her what had happened and she said, 'I...lost the baby Sherman.'_

_The words hit me like a scorching rocket and I just took her in my arms and we stayed there in the window seat for the night. We didn't even get up to eat, neither one of us were very hungry after that. So we just stayed there and even saw the sunset come up the next morning._

**Back in 1965-**

On the bank of the river with Hawkeye, Sherman picks up his fishing pole and he and Hawkeye get up and go back down to fish than Sherman says, "So the hardest job comes when you think you are going to be a father". Hawkeye throws out his own line from his fishing pole then asks, "Are you trying to tell to tell me something?"

Sherman thinks on a minute then fools around with his reel then asks his friend, "How is your practice doing back in Crabapple Cove?" Hawkeye thinks on that then says, "It was better when dad was alive, people are still having a hard time with me even tho I have been home over 10 years"

Sherman shakes his head than says, "People are hard to understand...even Jesus said his own hometown wouldn't accept him. People were stupid 2000 years ago and they still are today. But that helps me...you recall Hawkeye that when I left Korea, I said I was 'going back to Hannibal to be a semi retired country doctor?" Hawkeye shakes his head then Sherman goes on to tell him, 'Well, it's time for this country doctor to put his semi to retire...Hawkeye, I want you to take over my practice" Hawkeye drops his pole in the water.


	29. Chapter 29 Butterflies and Generals

Hawkeye walked up to the long porch that belonged to Col. Sherman Potter, he sat down in the swing and took off his fishing boots, looked around and smiles. Then he picks up his bag of fish an goes in the house, he takes them over to the sink. He looks around for a larger bowl, finds it and pours the fish in and then pours water in. Turns the water off then wipes his hands on his pants then turns and goes upstairs, he opens the door to see Margaret walking to bed and she says. "I was only up to go to the bathroom, I'm laying back down as soon as I fluff my pillow, so you don't have to come in here acting like, well...me" Hawkeye smiles and he goes and sits down on the end of the bed and says. "I wasn't going to say anything about that, I will later but come on, we need to talk". She looks at him then asks as she goes to him.

"What's wrong? Where's Col. Potter?" He smiles at the woman he loves and says, "Nothing is wrong, believe me, if it was Col. Potter; I would be in the corner sobbing like a child". She breaths of relief then sits down beside him then asks. "Then what is it? Did something happen while you were fishing?" He laughs then says. "Oh yes, something happened while we were fishing, all the fish just flew in the basket and all but two of them said _'Sherman caught us'_ !"

She laughs then says. "You only got two?" He shakes his head and she says. "Well, that's good". Hawkeye then says. "That man does fishing just as easily as riding a horse" She snickers then tells him, "Hawkeye, you have only been fishing in Crabapple Cove 5 times in your life and you told me you only went because you lost a bet with your father" He laughs then Margaret asks him. "Then what's wrong?" He looks at her then says. "It's not _'wrong'_, just a surprise". She looks at him then asks again. "What is it?"

He stands up, puts his hands in his pocket then tells her. "The Col. wants me to take over his practice" Margaret looks at him like he is speaking Chinese at first then she asks. "What?" He shakes his head then Margaret asks. "I thought he was already retired" "Just semi" Hawkeye tells her. "He still has a handful or more patients, he is just 'on vacation' right now since Thanksgiving is here and he just waited for me to get here to ask...more like dropped a bomb" Margaret stands up and asks him. "What did you say?"

He shrugs his shoulders then says. "Nothing. absolutely nothing, w-what could I say? Besides, I wanted to talk to you". She stands up then says. "Well, I appreciate that but what about you? What do you want to do?" He walks around the room then says. "I don't know, I just don't know, I haven't been this stunned since...you told me about that". He points to her belly and she laughs then says. "Well, you got over this" He laughs then says. "Not really, until a baby comes out of you, I'm still thinking that it's that it's a watermelon that kicks" She laughs then asks. "Do you want to leave Crabapple Cove?" He doesn't answer her for a long time then says, "I love the place but it's been 10 years and the only reason why I practiced at all is because of dad and now that he's gone, you can just feel the nervousness from the parents even when I put a simple stich in their kids and I got a kid coming and I need to support and I can't where I am" She smiles and says. "Sounds like you have made up your mind"

He thinks on that than shrugs his shoulders then says. "Maybe I have but is it fair to you? I mean we had the baby's room all set up back in Maine!" She tells him. "So? Do you know how many times in my life I have had to be ready to pick up and move at a drop of a hat? Moving from Crabapple Cove to Hannibal to be a country doctor's wife isn't exactly like going to Korea to be a nurse in a war". He goes and puts his arms around her then he says. "You're really crazy about me, aren't you?" She tenderly slaps him then kisses him then she asks. "So, when are we going to get our stuff?" He looks at her with his eyes bugging out then he says. " _'We'_ are not going anywhere, I am not going anywhere !" She rolls her eyes than says. "Oh, what are we supposed to do? Stay here?"

He says to her. "No, this place is already busting out the seams with Max and his daughter living here and Radar and his family practically staying here all the time so we'll start looking." She nods her head then asks a question. "That still leaves me to ask, what about our things back east? Just hope that everything grows wings and flies out here?" He sticks his tongue out then says. "You are very sarcastic you know that? I don't know..." He slaps his legs then says, "I know! Why didn't I think of this before? Billy! I'll just ask Billy and his wife to pack everything up and send them out here" She snorts then asks a question. "You are going to trust Billy with the family silver?" He looks at her then he says. "A lot you know, I buried the family silver behind the neighbor's chicken coop and he's allergic to chickens!" She looks at him and they bust out in laughter then fall on the bed.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Down in the living room, Sherman sits down in a chair reading Zane Grey and Mildred sits on the end of the couch doing some crocheting than the doorbell rings. Sherman and his wife look at each other then he gets up and goes to answer and when he opens the door, there stands Dr. Sidney Freeman ! "Sidney!" Says Sherman as he puts his arms around him and they hug then Sidney sniffs his nose then says, "Sherman, why do you smell like a fish factory?"

Sherman snickers then says, "Hawkeye and I just got finished fishing". Mildred then says, "And he says he'll take a shower 'Later'". She rolls her eyes then Sherman says, "I'm sorry if it bothers you Sidney". Sidney waves it away and says. "Reminds me of home, don't give it another thought" . Sherman goes to sit down in his chair while Sidney sits on the couch then he starts out by asking. "Okay, what is this about your neighbor?" Sherman sighs then says, "Well, her name is Frances Byrone, as I said the other night on the phone, her husband killed himself Thanksgiving night and well...she has shut down" Sidney shrugs his shoulders and says. "Well, that's classic". Sherman and Mildred look at each other than Sherman continues.

"It would be but...". Sidney asks him. "What?" "Sidney, she hasn't talked since it happened, she hasn't done anything...Radar's wife is taking care of her 16 year old son and he's mentally retarded, he has the mind of a child and if she doesn't start taking care of her own son and herself...the state will step in and take him to a institution. I can't stand to see that happen so..." Sherman points to his friend than Sidney says, "So, you called in me?" Sherman laughs then says, "Well, Hawkeye says you are the best butterfly catcher around" Sidney laughs then says. "Always good to have the recommendation of your favorite patient" They both laugh at that then Sherman says, "Well, let me take you over there" They both get up and Sherman walks him to his neighbor's house then a few minutes later, he comes back. He goes and gets his book to quietly sit back and read but that doesn't last long because Misty comes in and she says. "Grandpa? Please read to me the next chapter?" He smiles and says. "Sure". He puts down his book and gets his copy of 'Black Beauty' and turns to chapter 29 and starts reading to make her happy, which is one of his favorite things in the world.

After he finishes reading the chapter, he closes the book than Misty says, "Grandpa, you smell like a fish!" She holds her little nose and Sherman says. "That's because I went fishing with your Uncle Hawkeye" "Well, Grandpa, take a shower! " She jumps up and goes to play with Kim Lee and Sherman looks at Mildred who arches her eye brow then Sherman sighs and goes to take a shower.

He comes out later and a knock comes on the door, he notices that Mildred is gone from the couch and he goes and answers the door and lets Sidney in again and he asks. "Well?" Sidney goes and sits down on the couch then he says. "Sherman, if I didn't know better, I would say that she's been in a war, much like the nurses from Korea". Sherman sits down and clicks on his lampshade since it is getting darker in the room and he says. "Well, she didn't have it easy rasing a boy like Myron and married to a drinking man". Sidney shakes his head then says. "Not just that Sherman...I did get her to talk to me a little...Sherman, he took his anger out on her". Sherman looks at him then says. "What?" Sidney shakes his head a little then says, "He beat her up...so when he killed himself, she doesn't feel...anything...no sadness, no grief...she can't even get herself to be relived that the beating is stopped". Sherman shakes his head then says. "Just when I thought I had lived enough to see it all, something new happens"

"It's not new Sherman". They both look up and stand up and Mildred comes in the room and says, "When you were gone to war, I helped some women...'get away' from the beatings"

Sherman looks at his wife in surprise then he asks. "Why didn't she?" Mildred sits down then says. "It's not easy. Women are taught to stay and stick it out 'Until death do you part' and sometimes it's comes to that"

Sidney then says. "I would like to stay for a few weeks and work with her, I think I can get her to come back" Sherman says, "I'm sorry we can't ask you to stay here, we are already busting out the barn with Hawkeye and Margret and Max and his daughter". Sidney shakes his head then says. "That's fine, I already checked into a hotel in town. I'll talk to you later". Sherman shakes his hand and he leaves then Sherman turns to Mildred and he says. "Just when I thought I couldn't love you more I find out something more about you"

She smiles then says. "I love you". He then asks his wife. "Why did you do it?" She shrugs her shoulders then says, "It ws my job as a human being"

Tears enter his eyes and he says with pride in his voice. "Here I thought all this time that you were staying home raising a child and picking flowers and you were here being a General in your own home"

Tears roll down her cheeks and he tenderly kisses her and he sits down in his chair and Mildred sits own his lap and they just spend time together.

**A/N-Please read and review!**


	30. There's More to Max than Dresses

Sherman and Hawkeye were putting popcorn and beer nuts on a table in the den and several men are sitting around laughing and getting ready for an old fashioned poker game. The men that are there are Hawkeye, Sherman, Rob, Jerry and Felix sit around laughing and each have in front of them a martini glass of 'lemon squash' then Jerry asks. "Where's Walter?" Sherman looks at him and says. "He had to go into work early, he said he might come after he does the weather, if he can. But I had this game so you can all meet Hannibal's newest doctor...Hawkeye Pierce". Rob, Jerry and Felix look at each other and smile and put their hands out to shake Hawkeye's hand and Jerry asks. "Hawkeye?"

Hawkeye understands and says. "From _'Last of the Mohicans'_, my dad called me after his favorite character, my real name is Benjamin Franklin Pierce but Hawkeye tells you a lot more about me". Felix speaks up and says. "That you are brave and rescue" women in distress "as you say?" Hawkeye laughs than says. "I don't know about brave but I think I rescued Margaret..." Hawkeye looks around than whispers. "But don't tell her that!" They all laugh then Sherman says. "Hawkeye was the chief surgeon under me in Korea and he's taking over my practice" Jerry says. "Sherman, are you going to bring all of your buddies with you?" Sherman laughs a bit then says. " Some of them, not all". He picks up his drink and gives a salute to Felix and Felix doesn't understand why but Hawkeye does and he snickers.

Rob looks at Sherman and asks him. "Well, is anybody else coming?" Sherman than says. "Well, Max said he'll be coming if he doesn't work late". Jerry looks at him and he shuffles the cards then says. "Max? He seems like a nice guy but a little odd". Sherman and Hawkeye snicker then Sherman says. "Oh, Max Klinger is a good egg, he'll give you the shirt off his back". Hawkeye can't resist it, he says. "Or his dress". All the men in the room laugh and Rob asks. "I heard that he tried to get out of the army wearing dresses, is that true?"

Hawkeye and Sherman look at each other than Sherman says. "Yes, it's true but after a year or two, he figured out that nobody was going to fall for that old bit anymore so he gave up the world of fashion for fatigues and became the best damn Sergent,at least in my eyes". Jerry laughs a bit and scratches a spot by his eye then asks. "Why don't you tell us some about him so we can know some about what he's like?". Sherman shakes his head then says. "Well, I first met Max on September 19, 1952, I had just taken command of the 4077th. He came to make himself a appearance and I know he was hoping I would take one look at him and throw him back to Toledo on the first plane out of Korea but I dug my spurs in and tied a lasso around him ! That outfit he had on looked like something Mildred would wear to Sunday tea!" He laughs then he tells them. "Course, I was trying to be mister Tough nose big ranch hand on the Ponderosa" and I ordered him out of the dresses" Everybody laughs then Rob asks, "How did he get back in them?" Hawkeye stops laughing long enough to say. "I talked him into it." Jerry asks him. "Why?" "Well, Klinger wasn't doing any harm and it would be easier for him to give it up than somebody ordering him. He would just do something that would really get him in hot water ". Hawkeye tells him then Sherman tells them all. "Let me tell you about some of Klinger's doings about and about the heart behind those ruffles and lace..." Sherman goes on to tell them about their new neighbor and it seems like the poker party is forgotten.

Meanwhile, on the road leading to Sherman's, Klinger is driving home and he says to himself. "Well, nothing like going home after a long day at work to playing a few game of relaxing poker and maybe taken some of these new lambs to the cleaners to be fleeced." Max laughs then he looks defeated and says. "What am I talking about? With Hawkeye and the Col. there, I'll be lucky if I get to keep 50 cents out of my paycheck..." He then brightens up and says then to himself. "Hey, maybe I can talk them into playing for penny any like we did in the old days...". He continues to drive toward Sherman's house and is just about there when he sees something, he sees a boy trying to crawl in the window of the Byrone's house. Klinger turns off his truck's lights and parks the truck across the street then tries to walk as quietly as he can toward the house and he whispers to himself. "That looks like that Gilbert boy from down the street, what is he doing?"

Max quietly walks over to the window and sees the boy just going inside then he says.."You trying to be known as the lighted thief, kid?" The 16-year-old boy turns around and with sweat all over his face he says in shock. "Mister Klinger! You're not supposed to be here!" Klinger grunts then says. "Trust me, I'm here. Now, how about you get out here?" Klinger gets the boy's hand and helps him out of the window and the boy shuffles his feet around then says. "I guess I shouldn't have crawled in a room with a light on" Klinger looks straight at him and says. "How about you? You don't need to be a thief anyway?" Flustered and embarrassed that he was caught, the boy says. "We-" Max asks him. "What were you doing in there anyway?" The boy answers him. "Well, I was told that there was something valuable in there that I could lift" Max nods his head then says. "Now, the ones who told you that piece of important information wouldn't happen to be the bunch of cracker jack originals that I saw you with a few days ago would it?" The boy squirms around and he makes a pitiful face then says. "Well..." Klinger then says. "Steven? That's your name, right?" Steven nods his head yes then Klinger continues then says. "If there was anything ever valuable in that house, Myron's old man most likely pawned it for a bottle a long time ago, why would you want to do this anyway? You need money kid?"

Steven shakes his head then says. "No...I, my brother is in prison and..." Klinger then asks him. "So, you think you have to join him?" Steven shrugs his shoulders then says. "Some say it would be better...that it's expected of me since my brother is in there" Max then asks in a softer voice. "Who says that kid?" Steven tells him. "People" Max shakes his head then says.

"Kid, one thing you're going to find out about life is what people say doesn't make a hill of beans" The boy looks around than up at the stars then says. "Sometimes it feels like since everybody feels like I should be a thief, I should be one". Max signals for the boy to come with him across the street and they sit down on a park bench then Max tells him. "Kid...Steven...I'm from Toledo...Toldeo, Ohio. It's a place where everybody is expected to be a shady character of some kind...even the potholes are crooked" The boy then says. "You turned out all right" Max shakes his head then says. "Not without some shoe polish and spit, I was so into that king of the gypsies that I thought that's what I needed to do, not that I'm any angel but, well, let's just say when I saw where it was going at the end of the yellow brick road, I turned myself around". Steven asks him. "What happened?" "Well, it happened when I was in Korea. Here I was in the middle of a war and I was still doing everything I could to make a buck...it was just a stepping stone on being legal but I had my hand in it then...I was accused of stealing a camera" Max tells him then Steven asks him. "A camera?" "A instantmatic, you know them?" Steven shakes his head then he says. "Sure, my mom got me one for Christmas"

Max shakes his head then continues talking. "Well, thanks to my stellar reputation, it was easy for some guy to try to pin the caper on me. I was lucky, I had some friends who did some shading of their own and got me out of making license plates in an Army prison" Steven looks at him in amazement then says. "Wow". Klinger shakes his head then asks the boy. "Let me ask you, what would your brother do if you became roommates in his house?" Steven tells him. "He would beat my ass with a two by four" Klinger then asks him another question. "Your pop?" Steven tells him, "He would help my brother" . Klinger then asks one last question. "Your mom?" Steven sighs then says. "She would die of a broken heart" . Klinger then asks the boy. "So, what you think you should do?" Steven thinks on that then asks Max.

"Can we talk some more?" Klinger smiles then says. "Sure, kid. Come on". They get up and walk down the street.

Back at Sherman's, everybody is laughing and drinking than Rob asks. "He really helped a priest steal drugs?" Sherman shakes his head then says. "And he lost his best skirt doing it" Another roar of laughter comes in the room then Hawkeye says. "Yes, but you should have seen the skirt he made to replace it..." Hawkeye gives a wolf whistle and another round of laughter comes in the room.

A little while later, Max finally comes into Sherman's and he walks into the den where the guys are playing, he then says to everybody. "Hey! I thought I would walk into a full-blown game going fast and furious!" Sherman looks at the men in the room and he says. "Oh, we just got to talking about good times of the past and just got caught up" Jerry looks up at Max and he says. "Why don't you pull up a chair and tell us about your day?" Max gets a chair, pulls up to the poker table and says. "Nothing much but we did get a big delivery of mini-skirts"

Felix asks. "Mini skirts?" Max shakes his head then says. "Yes, that's what is coming in style...big". Jerry asks Max. "How mini are they?" Max thinks on it then says. "Oh, about mid-thigh". Sherman starts laughing and Hawkeye asks. "What is it?" Sherman then says. " Oh, fickle fashion...I've been there when skirts hide everything but toes then when we saw knees, men were tickled to the point of no return and now that skirts are going by the way of a big belt, I predict men will walk around with walking orgasms!" They all laugh and Felix raises his glass and gives a toast with his lemon squash and says in his French . "***** *** **"" . Hawkeye looks around then asks. "What does that mean?" He says. "Works for me".

**A/N-I know this is not my usual chapter, but I wanted to show how important Hawkeye and Max are getting in the community.**

**Sand n' Sable.**


	31. Chapter 31 Family

**A/N-I had a little trouble with this chapter, that's why it's been so long between chapters.**

Sherman and Mildred with Sunshine and Max and Hawkeye with Margaret are sitting around the living room and talking and laughing then the door opens and in comes Walter. Sunshine gets up and runs over to her husband and hugs him and he looks around then asks. "Where's Misty?" Sunshine tells him. "She and Kim Lee are upstairs playing". Max says. "Oh, she's informed me that she doesn't want to be called "Kim Lee", just "Kim" now ".

Everybody laughs than Walter says. "Oh, I didn't say it on tonight's program but we are finally expecting a cold front coming in". Sunshine says. "Thank God, it just doesn't seem like winter around here without it being cold". Mildred says. "Yes, Lord a mercy, we've had some warm times around here but never this long!" Sherman nods his head then Margaret says. "I'm like Sunshine, I'm ready for some cold weather ". Hawkeye smiles and says. "Oh, just admit it, you want to snuggle up to me". Margaret rolls her eyes then says. "Oh sure, with a 12 lb. watermelon in between us!"

Everybody laughs than Sherman asks his wife. "Remember that winter that we were wishing for hot spells and boiling bubbles?" Mildred looks at him in confusion then smiles and laughs then Margaret asks. "When was that?" Sherman then says. " Twenty-nine" Everybody pays attention then he starts. " Well, as you know, the depression had just started, I was in my last year of medical school...at first we didn't even realize there was a depression until there became shortages in supplies. Somewhat like Korea but only in larger portions, I lost my job being a carpenter at the rooming house we were staying at because the owners couldn't pay me any more so the only job I had been being in the National Guard...I only got a dollar for going to exercises and then a little extra for practices so we weren't totally broke but it was tighter than a noose around a hanging man and it was getting tighter."

Not a sound is heard as Sherman talks to them. "Well, things were so bad that I had to sell our car...that was hard enough to find a buyer in the area but I finally did to a man in the next town, I didn't know what I was going to do, here I was going to medical school and didn't have a way to get to there; but one day I was kicking down the road and I came across this abandoned L-29, that was the best of trucks back then in those times. I didn't know what I was going to do about gas but I found it. There was enough gas to bring it home."

Mildred then says. "I finally found a job on the outskirts of town washing dishes for 50 cents a day". Margaret asks her. "You washed dishes for 50 cents a day?" Mildred shakes her head then says. "Well, there are times if you can't find anything else, you take what you can and it was money for us. And think, I had to walk while he used the truck to go to school". Sherman shakes his head and then says. "And I figured it out very quickly in this old noggin' that I better use the truck just for that...I didn't have money to use for extra..."

He laughs then says. "I didn't have wine to use for gas like I did in Korea!" * All of them laugh as they remember that. Hawkeye then says. "I think the next time any of us start to complain about our jobs and lives, we need to remember washing dishes for 50 cents a day". Everybody shakes their heads then to add laughter in the room, Hawkeye then says. "They didn't even have rubber gloves then!" Mildred laughs then says. "No, they didn't have that until later!"

Sherman than says. "And all that was a walk in the corral compared to the cold winter nights! I really believe it got more cold in those nights than a well in the bottom of the ocean! If a person was smart, they would never get tired of snuggling with their wife or husband... that problem never came to me ". Sherman and Mildred smile and move closer together while everybody smiles then Sherman says. "It took a while for things to get better, you all have seen pictures of the people at soup lines. Well, the hardest for me was the children, Mildred and I did go to those soup places a couple of times but suffering balls of *#%, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't sit there, stuffing my face with food while a child was sitting across from me with hallowed out eyes so...after that Mildred and I did our best to eat on our own". Proudly, Mildred says, "And we never did go hungry...well, we did for maybe a night or two sometimes but it all worked out"

Margaret then says. "Well, I'm just glad I was born after all that, I heard some stories that my mother told us, dad never wanted to share with me any of that. Never really talked with me about anything but the Army". Sherman nodded his head then says. "He just wanted to protect you in his own way Margaret, can't fault a man for that". After a few minutes of silence, Mildred stands up and asks. "Does anybody else want coffee?" Everybody says no then Margaret says. "No...because I need somebody to deliver this baby!"

Hawkeye's eyes go huge and he asks. "What?" Margaret nods her head then looks down and everybody follows her gaze and they see her water has broken and everybody jumps up and Mildred runs for the phone to call the ambulance then Margaret says. "I'll go pack my bag". Sunshine asks. "You don't have one made?" Margaret looks at Hawkeye and he says. "Well, I just never did get around to it, I always figured I had plenty of time; looks like the jokes on me". He gives a weak laugh then Margaret says. "Besides he never packs my stuff right"

Sherman looks at them then when nobody sees him, he walks on in his office. About 15 minutes later, Margaret comes down with a suitcase and Hawkeye holding her and Mildred says. "The phones aren't working! Looks like Max is going to have to drive you to the hospital!"

Margaret closes her eye then says. "I don't think we'll have time to go to the hospital!" Margret squeals in pain and Walter hollers out. "Not again! Why can't you people ever have these babies in the right place? In the hospital, not on a bus or in my dad's house! Someplace where I'm not around!" Max tries to calm him down and Hawkeye says. "Calm down Radar! It's not like this is plan to ruin your life!" Sherman looks at him with a crooked eyebrow then he calmly says. "Bring her in my office"

Hawkeye and Mildred start to bring her in but Margaret then says. "Oh no, I need to lay down, I can't go any further". They lay down on the couch and they hurry and get ready for her to deliver. Sherman looks at his wife and she just sits down beside Margaret on the floor, holds her hand and helps holds her legs up. Walter gets a little woozy and quietly leaves the room.

Margaret screams in pain but with Sherman's careful instructions and Mildred's quiet words, she delivers a baby. After the baby comes out, Mildred hands Hawkeye some scissors and he cuts the bloody cord, he smacks the baby's bottom and he smiles and says. "It's a boy...Hawkeye made over". Everybody laughs while Margaret carefully holds her baby boy and coos and blows kisses while counting the toes and fingers and Sherman smiles.

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After a while, Sherman walks into the bedroom where Margaret and her baby are now. The baby is carefully sleeping by Margaret's side and she smiles and he sits down on the bed then he says. "You and Hawkeye planned this". She looks at him with innocent eyes and he continues then says. "Now, what makes you think that?" He shrugs his shoulders then says. "Well, Hawkeye is strange but he's like most about to be dads, he would have made you pack in the first month...you also came across country just to come to Thanksgiving in the last term of your pregnancy knowing you might give birth in a pothole...you were supposed to stay in bed but you have flown around here going to see B.J. and walking with Sunshine around the neighborhood like a bright, young filly ". Hawkeye comes in the room smiling like a house cat who just finished eating all the mouse then Margaret says. "The jig is up, he knows".

Hawkeye then says. "So he knows, what can he do? send us to the corner?" Sherman looks at him and smiles and asks. "Why?" Margaret tells him after looking at the boy and says. "We wanted you to give birth to him but we figured you might put up a argument wanting to retire so...". Sherman laughs then says. "Aren't you pistols in a bowl of tulips...what's the little fella's name?" Margaret looks at Hawkeye then he says. "We were thinking of Sherman Daniel or Daniel Sherman, what do you think?" He smiles and they all laugh while looking at the baby.

Later on in the middle of the night, little Misty comes in the living room as Sherman sits in his favorite chair and Misty crawls up in his lap and he asks. "Why aren't you asleep?" She rubs her eyes and says. "I woke up...why are you still awake grandpa?" He chuckles and says. "Aunt Margaret had her baby and I had to help bring it in the world". She innocently asks, "Oh, is it okay?" Sherman smiles and says. "He's perfect". She then asks him. "Oh...can you read to me Grandpa?" He smiles and gets out the velvet covered book with the gold words, 'Black Beauty' then he reads' "_A Humbug' My master was not immediately suited and in a few days, my new groom came..." _ Grandfather and granddaughter just read into the night.

**A/N-If some of you remember, on one show, Sherman and Max had to go someplace, to the front and they ran out of gas and Sherman had to use the wine Max bought for Charles.**

**Radar never could stand to see bloody childbirth! LOL.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	32. Chapter 32 A Fair Memory

**A/N-This is going to be just a cute little fluff chapter before the drama begins again! Everybody needs to have fun! Read and review please.**

Sherman, Mildred , Max with Walter and Sunshine are waiting in line to go get tickets for their girls to go inside and have fun at a Christmas fairground that has rides, game booths and all kind . Cheap but festive decorations up...a crisp feel is in the air and Max says. "Man Radar, when you said a cold snap was coming in, you weren't kidding!" Sherman than says. "Oh, it's not that bad". Max tells them. "I'm from a line of desert people, anytime that line drops below 55 is cold in my book" They all laugh than Sunshine asks. "Why don't you move to California or Florida?" He then says. "I'm also a gypsy of time and wind, I adapt". They all laugh then they get up to the front of the line and pay for the girls bracelet and when they put them on, they see Millie and Jerry with their boys and Ritchie, Laura's and Rob's son with them and the girls face lights up and Misty asks.

"Can we go with Ritchie and Freddie daddy?" Walter looks at Jerry and Millie and they shake their head yes so Walter says. "Go on". Kim looks at her daddy and he says. "You go on to honey" Max than says. "At least they can ride and have fun with them while we walk around" Max than sarcastically asks. "And do what? Go see Santa Claus?" Sherman than says. "Let's go sit down at one of those food booths , at least the smoke coming from the bar-be-que pits will help warm us". Everybody sighs with relief then Sunshine says. "Thank you pop" They all sit down and Sherman says. "Ever since I got married, I learned to like the cold...you can play spoons at night!" They all laugh then Max says. "I don't seem to recall you liking it much in Korea, former boss of cold and warm times". Sherman laughs then says. "That's because Generals didn't approve of spooning as a war maneuver" . They all laugh then Sunshine asks. "Pop, I was wondering,with you talking about the depression the other night, did they ever have fairs like this?"

Sherman nods his head than says. "They did they still kept them going to make money. As you know, money makes the world go round and sometimes parents would save up money and take kids to them to lift their spirits...". He then starts to chuckle and he says. "I remember the first one Mildred and I went to after I graduated from Medical school...we were the only ones running around and getting on the rides like school children!"

He goes back in memory and says. **" **_It was being held in a little town that used to be outside Hannibal, the town is a ghost town now, nothing there but memories thanks to the railroad but the memories are still there. I still remember seeing Mildred standing in a pretty yellow blouse and tan skirt and holding my hands then she says. "Are you sure we can afford this?" Young Sherman rolls his eyes and he says. "It's only ten cents! Come on!" She smiles then says. "Ten cents apiece" Sherman rolls his eyes again then says. "Suffering' Sally rides! Let's just give ourselves a little treat! I just finished 4 long years of medical school, we're having to do everything we can to scrimp and save during this time; you're washing dishes at some makeshift eating trough! I just think we deserve this!" She smiles like a naughty child fixing to go into the cookie jar and she says. "Okay, let's go"_

_They take each other's hand, go to pay for their way in then run and get on each ride with so much freedom and abandonment of worries that they look like teenage lovers. After a while, Sherman notices a young 12-year-old boy watching him at each turn so he whispers something to Mildred then he walks over to the boy who is watching some donkeys in a nearby field and Sherman asks. "What are you looking at boy? The asses or me?" embarrassed, the boy says. "Well, you sir. I-I was just watching the donkeys thinking you would think I was watching them". Sherman then looks at him and asks. "And why were you watching me?"_

_The boy looks down at his shoes than mumbles. "I was watching you and the woman". Sherman pretends he can't hear the boy and he says. "Speak up boy, I need to hear why you were following me around like a lap dog". The boy takes a deep breath and he says. "I was watching you and the missus. Ellen is supposed to be here soon". Sherman cocks an eyebrow and he asks. "Ellen?" The boy nods his head and he says rather shyly. "She's, well, I want her to be my girl and I saw how you were treating the woman and I as watching to see...how I should..." Sherman stands straighter and he asks. "How you should treat your girl?"_

_The boy shakes his head and Sherman breathes in the cold evening air and he smiles than he says. "Best advice I can give boy is to treat her with kindness and respect". The boy looks up at Sherman finally then he asks. "What's respect?" Sherman looks around and adjusts his jacket then shrugs his shoulders then says. "Respect. When you treat a person the way they should be treated, the way you would want to be treated" The boy nods his head then Sherman says. "Just watch me kid"_

_Sherman goes back over to his wife, takes her hand and they go walking around then Sherman finally sees the girl named Ellen come walking up to the boy. The girl is a little 13-year-old girl with red hair and Irish clove green eyes. She has the tender features of a young woman and Sherman smiles as she begins to talk in her soft Irish tounge. _

_"'Ello Dale". Dale jumps in the air and he turns to Ellen and says. "Hi". She just smiles sweetly then he asks. "D-do you want to walk around?" She smiles at him sweetly and she says. "I would like that, I've never been to a fair in America". He takes her hand in his and they start walking and Sherman smiles. _

_Sherman and Mildred go on a few more rides than on the last one, the ferris wheel; they get on and go around a few times then the ride stops when Sherman and Mildred are right at the top and she asks. "What happened?" Sherman looks around then says. "Oh, these things break down once in a while. Just a bug in the machine, nothing to worry about..." He looks at her and asks. "You're not scared are you?" She smiles then says. "Not as long as you are with me". He swells with pride, puts his arm around her and kisses her. Then he sits back and breathes in the night air then he looks down and sees young Dale and his little girlfriend, Ellen. Sherman smiles and he puts his hand in his pocket and smiles, then a few minutes later, the ride starts up again and then they get off; he goes over to Dale and takes him to the side and says._

_"Here's five cents. Go buy her a candy apple". The boy looks at the nickel like gold has been given to him and he says to Sherman. "Thank you sir!" The boy happily takes it and starts to go off than Sherman shouts after him. "By the way, what's your name son?" The boy says. "Dale Helpler sir"_

_Sherman goes back to Mildred and they leave the fair._

**Back in 1965-**

Mildred smiles then says. "I remember that fondly". Sherman smiles and hugs his wife then Walter says. "Gee, that's great. What happened to that boy and girl?" Sherman smiles then says. "Why don't you go ask their son? He's walking around with your daughter". Walter looks over at Jerry and his wife with the pack of kids then he says. "Jerry?" Sherman shakes his head then says. "Our very own tooth fairy, Dr. Jerry Helper. D.D.S.". They all laugh and Sunshine says. "I love when you tell your stories of the past!". Just then Misty and Kim come over and Misty takes her daddy's hand and Kim goes to Max then they both say. "Come on daddy! Mom! Come watch us!" "Yes, daddy! Come on!" They all laugh then Sherman says. "Come on everybody, let's go have fun of a different kind" They all go over to the bumper cars.

After a long day, they all get in the car exhausted and Misty sits by her grandfather as Walter drives them home. Kim is asleep on her daddy's lap then Misty looks up at Sherman and asks. "Grandpa? Can you read me Black Beauty when we get home?" He looks at her and asks. "Are you sure honey? You're not too tired?" She shook her little head then says. "I'm sure. I can't sleep without your voice" He smiles then he says. "Sure, it's not a long chapter anyway. We're almost home"

Walter then pulls into the street to take them home.


	33. Chapter 33 First Day Resident

**Disclaimer-I do not own the rights to MASH, that belongs to CBS and staff. This story is of my mind and any place I mention in this story is not mine.**

Sherman stood in the hallway of the University of Missouri at Columbia and he stands in front of a wall full of awards for past students who have gone on to become doctors and important people in the community and around the world. He looks at different pictures then he comes to his _Doctor Sherman Potter-1927 graduate._ He smiles with pride. A man comes walking to him in a stylish dark blue suit and tie and he smiles and he asks Sherman. "Are you ready?" Sherman smiles and looks down his own dark grey pinstripe suit to make sure everything is smooth and neat looking then he says. "Ready as I'll ever be I guess...are you sure about me getting up there and saying a few words does any good Ray? I feel like I'm just chewing crud when you put me up there like a prized calf"

Sherman's friend gives a hearty laugh and he says. "Sherman I do love the way you put things but yes, you do a lot of good. Both myself and my staff have found that around this time of year, the students get , well, for a lack of better word...it's almost like they forget the reason they want to become doctors...get lazy. They 'graze' as you say. We can see it in their eyes, especially the freshmen and sophomores". Sherman shrugs his shoulders then he says. "Well, we both know that the first two years of learning medicine is boring to most...you just learn diseases and the "little stuff" as I heard a few put it and after keeping your head in a book all year, well, at Christmas they just get antsy as a sack of cats as my grandmother used to say"

They both laugh and go walking down the hall to the auditorium doors but they cut off and go down the hall and open a door and go down another hall, then Ray goes in and he goes up to a microphone and podium and he says. "We have a respected member of our alumni here to talk to the young men...". He looks down on the first pew and sees two women setting with their medical books and they look up at him and Ray says. "And to the women also...about his experience being a doctor...please give him your full attention. I am proud to introduce Doctor Sherman Potter" . Sherman comes out to a roaring round of applause, he comes to the very same spot as his friend, he starts to speak in the square-shaped microphone but it gives a loud 'Errrrrrr' sound. He smiles and steps back just an inch then he clears his throat and says. "I never did like talking into these things, if I could, I would just walk around here and talk to you in my voice but...they say that the contraptions are to help you all hear me better. I don't know what much a old man like myself can say but give it a gander."

He looks out at the audience and he feels all their eyes on him. He hears a cough or two than he sighs and he says. "Now, I understand from Mister Daniels, that there is a lot of first year and 2nd year students listening to me...". He hears a lot of mumming in the auidance then he says. "Now, you may look up here and see a walking dinosaur but I remember those two years and you do a lot of keeping your eyes glued to pages until the words turn into long sentences and you feel like you have drunk so much coffee to keep you awake that you think that when they go digging for blood, it won't be red; it will be black, am I right?" Everybody nods their heads and Sherman goes on. "You feel like the book has become a permanent part of your body and your body hurts from going to a straight poisten rather than being hunched over,right?" Another round of understanding murmurs then Sherman says. "Well, I' m sure the third and last year students will tell you that the years fly by after that, it does get better and you do see light...". He then gets a round of applause and many sighs of relief then he says."Well, even after you do get that blessed piece of paper that tells you that you have enough knowledge in what you call a brain to become doctors , you will breathe a sigh of relief and you will be able to go spend some time with your wives, husbands, sweethearts or who ever you want to that gave you the proper push; give them a kiss and hug but that's all it will be because when you become residents...it will be worse." A groan comes from the auidance and Sherman looks at his friend Ray who just has a blank look on his face then Sherman says.

"I ain't gonna sugar coat it. When you actually get to a hospital and start working, you will practically live at the hospital. The doctors, nurses and sometimes even the patients will become more family to you than your own family...". As he is telling them about his day of becoming a resident,he remembers the day in his mind..._Sherman drives up to the hospital in his L-29. He parks the red truck and he gets out, he looks up at the 2 story hospital and he feels his heart beat faster and his breath comes in shallow then he says to himself. 'Damn it to hell Sherman! Calm yourself down! You're acting like a princess virgin! This is what you have worked for, this is what you wanted for Mildred, you are a doctor!' He walks up to the hospital in short steps and he thinks some more. "A doctor...peoples lives will depend on me...I will be responsible for...'. He shakes his head then says. "Come on man, stop talking crazy!"_

_He finally gets up to the wooden double doors and he opens them and when he does...he opens to a whole new world. The first thing he saw was white walls, orderlies in white uniforms taking patients around on gurney on white sheets. Nurses in white blouses and skirts. Doctors in white lab coats running around like mice in a lab test, the only different color was people's hair and the drab, wooden furniture. He takes a deep breath and walks up to a doctor and says._

_"Excuse me, I'm Sherman Potter, I'm supposed to report to a doctor Jacobson, this is my first day as being a resident". The doctor hands a piece of paper to a nurse who is standing behind the front lobby desk than he says. "I'm doctor Jacobson, the others are waiting in that room over there..." He points to a small room in the corner, the door just said 'waiting room' and I saw several heads of men waiting for doctor Jacobson then the doctor says. 'Go in there and wait, but first go down the hall and get a lab coat then come back and stay...there's 15 minutes until we go on rounds'. Sherman nods his head then says. "Thank you sir" Jacobson stops in his tracks and he looks at Sherman then says. "Yes, I'm a sir but I'm a doctor, we __earned__ that title, be sure to use it". Sherman nods his head then says. "Yes sir...doctor sir"_

_Jacobson rolls his eyes then says. "You better get going". Sherman quickly turns around and goes down the hall until he sees a door that says. 'Locker room', he goes in and he looks around then he sees some white lab coats on hooks on a wall and he takes one and sees that 4 are left. He quickly forgets it, puts on his coat and runs back down and goes in the room; all the men in the room turn and look at him. Sherman politely nods his head and the men each introduce themselves then a few minutes later, Jacobson and a nurse comes in the room, he then says. "This is nurse Belinda Sterling, she's going to be handing out tablets, they are for you to take notes and my advice is you become a demon for taking notes. Also pay close attention, things go plenty fast in this place . If you have any questions, you better wait until I finish with my patient...I don't go in for interruptions, I know you are here to learn but they are here to get better and they don't have patience for learning, just saving their lives. Now, follow me"_

_We all stand up to leave but then the door opens and there stands a squirming lad and he says. "Umm, I'm s-sorry for being l-late, had trouble with my car". Jacobson asks him. "Who are you?" The man nervously puts his hand out then says. "Brady...Andy Brady". Jacobson doesn't shake his hand just says. "Go get yourself a coat then hurry and get a tablet from the nurse and follow us...keep up...I just told them that things run fast around, you got two minutes, GO!" Sherman sees Brady turn around on a dime and sprints down the hall then is only in there 3 seconds and comes back out, as he runs to keep up with us , the nurse hands him a tablet then we go down the hall like packed rats following a piece of blue cheese._

_We follow him patient after patient then somehow Brady gets up the courage to ask. "C-can we, can we see patients on our own sometime doctor?" Not a sound, not even a breath was took by any of us then Jacobson says. "Fuck no" We all look at each other than Jacobson asks._

_"What? Are you shocked by me saying that?" We all nervously shake our heads then he says. "It's something we do, at least I do when my wife lets me and we say it when we want to get our point across...anyway, there's no way in hell I am letting first year residents, much less first DAY residents touch any patients in this hospital. You may have somehow passed out of medical school by hypnotizing the professors there but you haven't passed by me...so, let's go back down the hall, we're going to see a patient with scarlet fever...she's blind so if anybody says anything thinks of anything tackles to say then you better leave now or they will be picking your butt up for medical school to work on...let's go"_

_Well, we followed him all over and we were dogged tried by the end of the day. Just as we all thought the day was over with, Jacobson leads us to a small room at the end of the hall and he opens it and says. "There's two bunks in here, you can rest, maybe even sleep when you can. THIS will be your house as long as any of you are here. You best get to know each other now, because half of you won't be here by the end of this year...bye for now...doctor Langiston is coming in 20 to take over". He slams the door closed and we heard him running down the hall and we all look at each other_

_Somehow in all that, that guy Brady and I became close friends. I suppose we knew we had to because life was going at a fast pace from that moment on. I only saw my wife for what turned out to be once a week and I only ate things that resembled food for a year but in the end, I think I became a bit better doctor, at least I like to think so'_

Sherman stops remembering then one of the female students in the first row raises her hand then asks. "So it was worth it going through all that?" Sherman nods his head then says. "I think so, being a doctor, you get to save lives...is anything better than that? Not really and the money is good so it's a win-win"

Sherman waves 'bye' to them and he walks over to his friend who enthusically shakes his hand then says. "Thank you Sherman, that was the best damn speech we have had in a while. You added life to it, I sure as hell won't forget it" Sherman slaps him on the back then says. "Thanks Ray, I enjoyed it as much as I like listening to Tex"

They laugh and Sherman leaves. He goes and gets in his black **Vauxhall Velox**, he looks around and hears the birds chirping in the background and he looks at the grand university and he smiles then he drives home. He opens the door to his house and smells a pork roast and his stomach growls. He then walks into the warm kitchen and Mildred sees him and smiles and goes over to him, kisses him and says. "How are you?" He smiles and says. "I'm fine, the speech took a bit longer than I thought but it went okay" She stands back and cocks her eyebrow then asks. "And?" He laughs and says. "I drove okay, I was a bit wobbly but I did it." Sunshine then says. "I would have driven you dad, all you had to do was ask" Sherman nods his head then says. "I know Sunshine but I wanted to for today, it's going to be one of the last few times I will drive. My eyes are getting weaker and reflexes slow on an old body" Mildred walks over to the stove and asks. "Then what was your excuse when you were younger? You never could drive"

Sherman and Sunshine laughs and he says. "It's true, I would rather drive a horse than a beast on wheels, it was a sad day when they invented cars" Sunshine and Mildred smile then he asks. "How much longer until supper?" Mildred looks around then says. "Not long, just about 20 more minutes for the pork loin in the oven and I have to finish with the corn then we can eat". Sherman nods his head then says. "Good, I can go get out of this monkey suit" Mildred nods her head and Sherman goes in the back.

Later Sherman comes out and as the women get the last of the silverware and plates on the table, Walter comes in and they sit down and Sherman says. "When I came in, I thought it was a pork roast" Mildred says. "No, a pork loin but it is a pork". They all laugh and eat while Sherman tells them about his day than when they finish eating, Walter kisses Sunshine, hugs his daughter then goes to work then Misty comes up to Sherman and asks. "Grandpa? Can you read me some of _Black Beauty_?" He smiles and says. "Sure, let's go". Sunshine and Mildred smile and watch the Grandpa and granddaughter walk hand in hand to the living room.

**A/N-Please read and review!**

**People's Sgt! Please get in touch with me!**


	34. Chapter 34 Doctor Wangensteen

Max is behind the wheel of Sherman's **Vouxhall Velox** and Sherman sits in the passenger seat and Misty and Kim are playing in the back seat, excited about their special day with Dad and grandpa. They drive down a long and winding road and the girls are laughing and "dancing" to _'Help' and 'Ticket to Ride' _by the **Beatles. **Max and Sherman look at each other and wink and Max turns to watch the road and the beautiful winter day. The breeze gently blows the trees as the last of the autumn's leaves falls then they see a sign that says _'Red Acres' ranch_ and Sherman points to it and says. "There's our breadcrumb, follow it Klinger". Klinger does a quick salute then says. "Yes, o former leader"

Max goes down the road still with the girls laughing and giggling than Sherman turns and asks his granddaughter's. "Are you sure you girls want to do this? It's going to be colder than a Eskimo's nose". Misty sits up and she brushes her hair out of her face then says. "Yes Grandpa". Kim sits up also then says. "Please take us!" Max says to his little daughter. "We're going! Don't worry Kim Lee" His little girl sits further up and she says. "Daddy, it's just Kim, remember?" Max sighs and he says. " Sorry. I forgot miss 'Just KIM'"

Kim falls back laughing with her "cousin" and the men shake their heads and laugh and drive up to a 10 acre horse ranch/farm. Max parks the car and they all get out. The girls get out of the car and even tho there is a cold chill in the air, they run up to the penned in horses with their pink jackets brightly shining in the sun. The girls call for the horses and put their hands out and Max and Sherman walk over while a young man in his late 40's comes out in blue jeans and a white and blue long-sleeved shirt with a thick heavy blue jean coat comes out and he says.

"Doctor Potter!" Sherman and the man shake hands and Sherman says. "Jerry!" They shake hands than Sherman says. "This is Max Klinger, he worked with me in Korea and..." He points to the little girls standing up on a wooden fence with beaming faces as the horses walk to them. "The little one on the right is Max's daughter, Kim and the other one is Misty, my granddaughters" Max beams with pride than Sherman says. "I've promised them a day out here for weeks Jerry, I didn't know the weather would turn on us with a 150 degree turn". Jerry gives a hearty laugh than says. "I got a couple of granddaughters myself, I know what that's like, we'll fix them up right Doctor Potter. Why don't you and Mister Klinger...". Max then speaks up and says. "It's Max...Mister Klinger is back in Ohio". Jerry smiles and says. "Why don't you and Max go see my dad, he's in the kitchen finishing up breakfast" . Sherman nods his head then he signals for Max to follow him up to the ranch house. He tells him. "Jerry's dad is an old friend of mine from my residency days then later into WW2, sadly he was one of the first one's that was so hurt that he got sent home. He and his son opened up the ranch 20 years ago and this is the best place to come". They walk through the one car garage until they come to the back kitchen door and Sherman knocks on it then they hear an elderly voice say.

"Come in!" Sherman opens the door and they see an older gentleman that is Sherman's age washing dishes and the man smiles and says. "Sherman! I was hoping you would come soon you old buzzard!" Sherman smiles and they come in and the man throws down the dish rag than carefully sets himself in a wheelchair that is right behind him and he says. "Sit down, the coffee is still good and hot, let's have some". Sherman smiles then says. "Alan, this is Max, he was with me in Korea" . Alan rolls around and shakes Max's hand then he goes over and gets some cups out of a low cabinet then pours the coffee that is still steaming like he promised then he gives it to Sherman who hands a cup to Max then takes his then Sherman says. "I bought my granddaughters out here to ride some of the horses Alan". Alan says. "They are going to enjoy the day, I can tell you that Sherman".

Max takes a sip of his coffee than he asks Alan. "Col. Potter says that you were in residency together". Alan looks at his old friend and laughs then says. "Yeah, we were. I was also the comic relief for them, if it was 30 years later; I would have been known as Elmer Fudd, I couldn't speak that first year without stuttering". They all laugh and Sherman says. "I remember that, I honestly did think you had a speech impediment for awhile" Alan then says. "And it only got worse with doctor Wangensteen". The old men laugh at that then Max asks. "Who?" Sherman looks at Max then says. "You remember that time when we had that patient who had fluids that built up in his stomach after surgery and I suggested we build a 'Wangensteen' doo dad?" Max nods his head then Sherman says. "Well, that same doctor was one of our mentors and he made the Generals that we had in the war seem like Kindergarten teachers!"

Alan laughs then says. "See Max, we had a doctor Jacobson that was our mentor for the first 6 months". Sherman takes a sip of coffee then says. "He got an offer from another hospital to be chief of staff so he took it, couldn't blame him but there we were and for a day or two we thought we had caught a break, we finally got to go home and spend some real-time with our families since we didn't have a tyrant breathing down our necks but that only lasted a day or two, the hospital had hired Doctor Owen Wangensteen..."

_A young Alan and Sherman sit with the 5 other men sitting around the waiting room and they discuss Doctor Jacobson and who is coming to take his place. One of the guys named Mickey says. 'Well, who do you think they are going to get to take Jacobson's place?' Another guy says, 'Doesn't matter, got to be better than Jocobson'. Sherman snickers then says. 'Never know fellas, I wouldn't place my bets on an unknown course'. Alan looks at him and nods his head in agreement and the know it all's on the other side of the table say 'Nah' and sit back in an arrogant type of way then a few minutes later the door opens and in comes in this tall man in a crisp, white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck, pencils in the breast pocket of the coat then he says. "I'm Doctor Owen Wangensteen, I'm here to take Jacobson's place. From what I hear, Jacobson thought this was just an extension of medical school and he just let you watch him, never let any of you do hands so; is that so?' We all silently nod our heads and watch the Doctor walk around the room and the nurse who followed Jacobson to give us our notepads comes in then he says. "Well, he had his own way and I'm sure he did a good job but I'm more hands on. You will attend to more cases with me but I also believe in research and extensive lab work so if you have any objections to that learning technique; I hear that the hospital where Jacobson works now is hiring, you can go there. So, any objections?' I look around the room and you could have heard a flea arguing with a tick in that room, it was that quiet. I knew I was right and we were going to be working harder than a pack of mules in a hailstorm now then Wangensteen says. 'Well, let's start it all now. Nurse?' She hands us our clipboards and we quickly follow the doctor. The first few days were a blur really but then this boy comes in with his mother and when he sits down on the padded table/ bed for the doctor to check him, Doctor Wangensteen looks back at Alan and says. "Doctor Brady? Would you check this young fellow and give us a diagnose? '_

**Back in 1965, Sherman laughs at the kitchen table with Alan then says**

"You should have seen your face! It was if you had swallowed the nail putting on the horseshoe!" Hearty laughter comes in the room then Alan says. "Well, at that time, I was so scared and I was ready to run in the nearby woods but I knew I had to do it so..."

**The memories go back to the past then**

_Alan looks at the mother and he sees how scared the mother is but is she scared for her son in himself or that Alan was going to give her son a diagnose? But he goes on ahead and he checks the boys heartbeat with his stethoscope, asks him to cough and breathe deep several times and cough then he checks his pulse then he checks the boys glands then he takes a tounge depresser out; asks the boy to open his mouth and Alan looks in then steps back and says. "tonsillitis, they need to come out immediately' Wangensteen steps up and does all the same to the boy then says. 'Excellent diagnosis doctor, this is a reality easy operation, would you like to aid me in surgery?' Alan's mouth falls open and Sherman looks at his friend then Alan says. 'I, I, I would be honored doctor'. Wangensteen turns to the mother and says. 'Go make the arrangements with the nurse at the desk and if everything is in order, we will operate in the morning'. The mother smiles and she tells her son to come on._

_They go on to the next few patients with that happening in different circumstances with the other doctors helping out doctor Wangensteen then finally a young pregnant woman comes in. Wagensteen takes one look at her then he turns to Sherman and asks. "Doctor Potter, I heard something about you delivering a baby? Is that true?' "Y, Yes sir.' Just then I recall that night helping my former neighbor have her baby and the pride I felt. Wangensteen walks over to Sherman then asks. 'Did the babe live?' Sherman is taken by surprise then he says. "Why, yes sir, he's a strapping two-year old, my wife and I are godparents to it'. Wagensteen steps back to the side then says. 'Then you go bring this babe in to the world'. I take a deep breath and go into the little room with a nurse following me and it took about 12 hours but I delivered my first baby girl officially into the world._

**Back in 1965, Alan then says**

"Those were hard days but we got though it and became fine doctors" Max then asks. "What kind of doctor did you become?" Alan puts down his empty coffee cup then says. "Well, at first I was just your local family doctor but after I got damaged in the war, people don't have confidence in a crippled doctor working on you so I fell on that training I got in the lab under Wangensteen" Sherman puts down his cup then says. "Alan has helped some of our biggest discoveries in the past 30 years". Alan looks at Sherman with pride then says. "I don't know about that but I like to think I helped humanity anyway, I retired and helped my son start this horse ranch. This sprawling place has been in the family for generations but Jerry is the one who has made it into a working place".

Just than as a lull in the men's conversation comes, the kitchen door bursts open and in comes Misty and Kim followed by Jerry and their little faces are full of shining excitement and little red rosy cheeks from the cold and Max asks. "Are you already finished riding?" Misty then says. "We haven't even been! Grandpa! You have to come see!" Sherman smiles and says. "Lord a mercy! What's going on!" Jerry then explains. "That mare gave birth rather sudden." Kim then says. "Dad, it was the greatest! Please come!" Sherman and Max get up and Jerry goes to help his dad wheel out and they go down to the barn and Jerry opens the door and they see a cute, fuzzy little foal wobbling on her feet and the momma not far away watching very carefully then Jerry says. "And you won the name pool Doctor Potter". Sherman looks at him in shock and the girls gasp then they ask. "What is it? What is it grandpa?" Sherman looks at the little newborn foal then proudly says. "Sophie"

After a full day of riding horses, naming horses and talking with old friends, Sherman and Max finally come home with two very tired little girls. Sunshine goes over and hugs her little girl and Kim and she says. "You two must be very tired." The girls nod their heads and Sunshine says. "Why don't I go run your bath water then we'll eat some chili then go to bed". Sunshine takes the girls little hands then Mildred asks Sherman. "How's Alan?" Sherman puts up his coat on the coatrack then says. "RIght as rain" . She smiles and goes to the kitchen and Max and Sherman put their arms around each other and go into the kitchen to get ready to eat.

An hour or two later, Sherman is tucking Misty into bed and she snuggle under the covers then says. "Grandpa? Can you read me 'Black Beauty'?" Sherman looks at her and asks. "Are you sure? It's a long chapter and you are very sleepy". She firmly nods her head and he gets the book then when he sits back, she snuggle in the crook of his arm and he says, "Chapter 34 '. He reads two pages then he looks down and sure enough, his granddaughter is asleep. He smiles and goes on reading the chapter to himself.

**A/N-My medical knowledge is not that great so I hope I did fairly well in this chapter. **

**Much love and appreciation to the People's Sgt. for helping me!**

**Sand n' Sable**


	35. Chapter 35 Mildred

Sherman sits in the living room in one of the easy chairs and he is reading ** Zane Grey** and has his **Tex Ritter** albums playing than Walter, who is also known as Radar, comes in the room without even knocking. He has worry lines on his forehead and not paying any attention to Sherman. Sherman looks up at him and he watches Walter pace the floor back and forth at least two times than Sherman puts down his book on his lap then he says. "When you get finished there, I'm sure Mildred would like for you to pace in the kitchen" Walter looks up at him and asks. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry". Sherman then asks him. "What's wrong son?" Walter sits down in the chair beside Sherman and says. "It's Sunshine, we had a fight" Sherman sighs and reaches up and turns off the record player then asks. "I figured that was it, you had the face of a man who lost a round with a filly. What happened?" Walter looks around then says. "She says we don't spend time together, that I'm always busy working ! Well, of course I'm working, I'm trying to make a home for her and Misty"

Sherman looks at Walter then asks. "Well, are you?" Walter looks at him then asks. "What?" "Not spending enough time with her". Walter sighs then says. "I told you, I'm trying to make a home..." Sherman interrupts him by saying. "Son, sometimes we can be too busy "trying to make a home" that we forget if we don't take the time, the home will become a house". Walter holds a finger to his chin then says. "Yeah, she said something like that but..." Sherman puts a hand up then says. "Son, I did the same thing...it was in the middle of my 2nd year of residency..." . Walter looks at him and Sherman tells him about the time.

_I came in the small apartment where we were staying dragging like a dog and Mildred turns to see me and her mouth falls open and she runs over and grabs me and she helps me over to the overstuffed easy chair' and she says. ' At least you finally have some time off'. I open my left eye at her and say. 'Yeah, two days'. She looks at me with her kind blue eyes and she kisses my hand then says. 'Just sit there and rest'. I barely nod my head and start to doze off to sleep then I hear her get up and I hear her moving about and I open my eyes to see what she is doing and I see my wife putting up decorations, Christmas decorations all around the apartment, a swag here, wreath here; putting up candles on the mantel over the fireplace and I say. 'Christmas! That's why we got the two days off! I haven't even thought about it being in the second year of residency and having more things to do. Wangensteen seems to have his mind someplace so it's putting us on edge...'. She turns to me and she says. 'Shhhh, it's okay Sherman, I know how crazy things have been'. I only give her another lazy smile and say. 'I don't even have a present for my best filly'. Mildred gave me the sweetest smile I ever saw and she told me. 'Sherman, go to bed. When you wake up in the morning, this place will be a Christmas dream!' I nod my head, yawn and say. 'I think I will, good night sweetheart'. I gave her a peck on the cheek, turned around and groped for the bedroom door and with the room being so small, I took just two steps and flopped on the bed like an old rag doll and fell instantly asleep._

_The next morning, well, I finally felt human. I put on my clothes and went out to the small kitchen , sat down to my cup of Joe. Mildred comes over and gives me a good morning kiss and asks me. 'How did you sleep Sherman?' I look up at her and say. 'Like a baby on clouds...what time did I go to sleep?' She thinks on it then says. ' Eight-thirty, I think'. I think about it then look up at the wall clock, the most expensive thing we could afford then and I say. 'Great sleeping horns! I slept for 12 hours! I haven't slept that much since...I don't know when!' Mildred turns and goes to the stove and she takes eggs off the stove and gets me a plate down and puts it down in front of me with a knife and fork and she gets the eggs then puts them on the plate for me and goes and gets me some orange juice and since the times were tight back then, it was only __ some__ orange juice. Anyway, I quickly gulp them down then get up and Mildred takes the dirty dishes to the sink, she doesn't see me go and put on my jacket but when she turns around, she looks at me in disbelief and she asks. 'Where are you going?'_

_I'm putting on my warm, red scarf than say. 'I'm going to the hospital, just for a spell. There's a boy there that we have watched for a few days, was hurt in a wagon wreck and we operated on him but something is going on. It's what has Wagensteen in a spell and I just want to go see' . I'm not looking at my wife and I don't see the mixed feelings in her eyes than she asks. 'Oh, you're just going over there for awhile?' I nod my head then says which to this day was the worst words a man ever said in his life. 'Yeah, probably won't be there 20 to 30 minutes then that new friend of mine, Alan Brady? He's got some new horses at his place. People are just throwing good horses around like old sacks of potatoes these days and I mentioned to him that I haven't been on a good horse ride since Luke crossed over that bridge so he said I could come over and ride the day. Figure it's a good way to spend some time away' Then before I know it, I hear a splat and it's a wet rag that hits the wall, barely missing the wreath that she had just put there the night before then she give out a careful choice of words out of her mouth but there was just enough edge of heat to her mouth that the devil himself was uncomfortable and she says. ' You mean to tell me that after 2 months of me barely seeing you and at Thanksgiving, I only saw you like for two minutes! You're just going to come in here, sleep for 12 hours then eat some food then GO back to the hospital then ride some horses for the rest of the day? !?" My heart starts racing but every word I say only adds another nail to my coffin._

_'I'm just going to go check on the boy laying' up there! Then I'm going to go do some relax in' and the best way for me is to ride horses, you know that!' She clenches her little fist then says. 'I know that! I am not begrudging you that! It's just you think you would want to spend a little time with your wife!' I nervously shift my weight around while straightening my jacket and scarf then I say. 'I'll be back tonight and we can spend all night together..." I walk closer to her and I say in a low, seductive voice. "Maybe even do some snuggling". Instead of her smiling, she looks at me with fire in her eyes and she says in a low, even voice. 'Just go Sherman'. I stand aback and she says again very firmly. 'GO! Before something is said that we might not can take back'. I look at her then shrug my shoulders because I still don't see what I'm doing wrong and I just turn around and leave._

_A little while later, I go in the hospital and Micky comes to me, I can tell he is tired and ragged as I was last night. He has a five o'clock shadow growing on his cheeks but his eyes brighten a mite when he sees me and he says. 'Hey Sherman, what are you doing here? Come to check up on us? Think the roof will cave in without ya?' I laugh then say. 'Noh, just came here to look in on that Landers kid, even tho I was tired as a horse after a 20 mile race; I just couldn't shake him off my mind last night or this morning'. Micky rubs his eyes then says. 'I know the feeling'._

_I take a good long look at him and I say. 'Micky, I know I looked like you like night but I'm gonna say it, you look like something that comes out of the back-end of a mule after he just ate his last meal'. Micky laughs than says. 'Are you saying I look like * #!' Sherman laughs then says. 'Yeah, I guess I am. When do you get off?' Micky looks around then says. 'When 7:00 hits, I'm going to take my two days. Glad they are letting the residents do this for Christmas, you'll be back by the end of the week?" Sherman unbuttoned his jacket then says. "With bells on"Micky nods his head then Sherman says. 'I'm going to go see the boy'. Sherman turns and goes down the hall then goes in a room on the right then he opens the door and he sees a young 12-year-old dirty blond-haired boy in a deep coma then Sherman looks to the left of the bed and he sees his pretty mother. He could tell that the woman was once more pretty than she is now. She has a heart-shaped face, blue eyes that are filled with the tears of a mother in pain, her little button nose red and raw from blowing and wiping and her lips continuously quiver in a prayer. Sherman's heart drops and he walks carefully over to the bed and looks down at the boy, feels his feverish head and carefully feels the top of the covers that's swollen from the boys stomach and he asks._

_"Has he woke up any?" The mother sadly shakes her head no then says in a voice wrapped with pain. "I thought the surgery would help him, it did for a few days; what happened?" Sherman sadly shakes his head then says. "I don't know". The mother then says. "I think Doctor Wagensteen may know, he has come in and out of here a lot" . Sherman looks around then says. 'Oh? Well, I'm sure whatever he is doing will help". She sadly shakes her head then says. 'No, my son...he will be dead soon, he will join his father' He looks at her then asks. 'What makes you say that?' The woman slowly raises her hand to her heart then says. 'It tells me'_

_A deep, heavy silence comes then where the only thing that is heard is the boys slow breathing and the mother's sniffles and tears then she says. "The only thing...I wish I had more time. I have wasted so much time with him but there has been so much to do since his father died" Sherman remembers his own father's death and how his mother worked after that then he says. "I understand that". She looks at him then says. "So I do not have many memories of his laughter...we have wasted so much time and it goes so quickly. Do you have children?"_

_Sherman shakes his head no then says. "No, we want some but I think we might ought to wait a bit longer". She nods her head then says. "So you have a wife? Then why are you here?' 'I came to see about your son'. She gives a weak smile then she says. 'I thank you...I think you will be a excellent doctor but...do not waste time with us, go to your wife, you may not have as much time as you think'._

_That causes me to think then I slowly get up and leave the room and go down the hall, I see Alan waiting for me and he says. 'Sherm? You sure you want to do this? It's freezing today'. I look around and purse my lips then says. 'You're right Alan and I got better things to do'. He smiles and hits me on the arm and say. 'Say hi to Mildred for me...and oh, Merry Christmas!' I smile back and say. 'Oh, same to you'. I walk out to my truck with a renewed energy feeling in me and I drive back to the apartment building...somehow it didn't look the same as I left. I go in and up the stairs to the 2nd floor and I go in and I see Mildred sitting in a chair and then I felt like I had been hit in the stomach with a 200 lb. mule, she had been crying.  
><em>

_I go over there...nervous as the day I met her, I sit down on the stool and I take her hand and she says. 'Did you forget something Sherman?' I kiss her hand like a true gentleman and I say. 'Yes, I forgot that I'm a damn fool. You are the most important thing to me and yes, being a doctor is important but our marriage is THE most important thing in this world to me, more important than any horse or person on this planet and I want to spend every waking moment with you in my arms'. Tears come from her again but this time I can tell that they are from joy and she hugs me tighter than a bear and I take her by the hand and take her over to the coat rack and help her put on her white coat that helps her look like the angel she is then she asks. 'Where are we going?' Sherman just smiles at her and he says. 'You'll see'. He goes over and takes out a bag from the closet while Mildred wipes the last of her tears with a purple laced handkerchief then he goes over and gently holds out his arm for her to take ahold of and they leave._

_A while later, their truck stops in front of a frozen pond. It's a rather large pond with a stone bridge over it, icicles cover the bridge. A little pier is down at the far right with a boat tied to it and a red barn not far from it but you can tell that the barn is abandoned. Pine trees line the pond on the right side but you can see several bare oak trees. A wooden bench is nearby covered with snow and Mildred looks to Sherman and asks. 'Where are we?' Sherman stands up and takes a deep breath of the fresh air and he says. 'This is one of the few places that I remember my dad bringing us to, it's the old McCrillis place'. Mildred looks at him and says. 'McCrillis? It's been abandoned for years, should we be here?' Sherman shrugs his shoulders and says. 'Why not? She giggles then says. 'Why not?' Sherman moves the snow off the bench, sits her down then goes back to the truck and gets the bag then goes back over to her and opens the bag to show a pair of ice skates. Puts them on her and they go out to the pond. At first, they are wobbly and nervous but soon they are gliding._

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman then says. "And that's how I learned my biggest lesson in life". Walter looks around then he says. "I've been a fool haven't I?" Sherman puts down Zane Grey on the table then he says. "We have all been, don't get down on yourself". Walter walks around then asks. "What do you think I should do?" Sherman waves his hand then says. "I don't know son, that's up to you. I'm just here to set you straight by the stories of my long and weary life" Walter smiles at him then says. "Thanks dad" . Walter leaves to go back to Sunshine while Sherman looks at Mildred coming in the kitchen with some cleaning supplies and he thinks then he gets up and goes behind her and gives her a kiss and a hug then she says. "My goodness, what's this for?" He smiles at her and says in a soft voice. "Just for being you. Come on, go get your coat and blanket and let's go for a ride"

She looks at him with a puzzled look then says. "Okay...did Jerry come get his **Vauxhall Velox**?" Sherman nods his head and says. "Yes, this morning. The garage finished working on our car this morning...Jerry's a good neighbor, he didn't have to loan us his car". She gets her beautiful red coat and gloves and gets three blankets from off the coach and Sherman puts on his coat and then they go out and get in the car and drive a long familiar drive. They drive to McCrillis pond, they get out and Mildred almost cries then they sit down on the bench and she says. "It's not wooden anymore". Sherman nods his head and says. "They found some of the McCrillis's in Oregon, they donated this to be a state park so that's why things are fixed up"

They sit down and Mildred asks. "Do you recall the first time we came here?" He smiles and nods his head and she says. "It's still so beautiful. The pine trees are a little thicker and I see a brick hole in the bridge but other wise, it's still the same. There's still that same crack in the ice at the far edge of the pond" He smiles then says. "I see some people still come here, there's somebody's lost kite in that oak tree...there's some mittens on the ground" She smiles and says. "There's a snowman somebody made on the other side of the pond". Sherman smiles and she then says. "It's a shame there's nobody skating out there now, enjoying this"

He turns his head and looks at her with an idea in his head.

A few hours later, Sherman and Mildred are sitting on that same bench covered with the blankets but this time they watch Walter and Sunshine doing some lovely skating on the pond and Mildred and Sherman smile and hold hands.

**A/N-This is my longest chapter, if there is any grammar mistakes, please forgive me!**

**Sand n' Sable  
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	36. Chapter 36 Memories in the Attic

Sherman sat on a stool cleaning his paint brushes and in front of him was a painting he was doing of his granddaughter, Misty. A picture of Misty sitting in a green lounge chair and holding her favorite stuffed rabbit and she is slightly leaning over and smiling, Her one missing tooth in the corner of her smile missing and the background is a plain brown backdrop is hanging in the corner and the painting Sherman has just finished is the same one.

Mildred came in the room and she looked at the picture and the painting and smiles. A soft knock comes on the door and Mildred said. "Come in". Sunshine comes in with a red bowl and she said. "I bought this back, thanks for letting me borrow it mother". Mildred gently takes the bowl from her and said. "Anytime". Sunshine looked at the picture/ painting and she said. "You did a good job pop but why did you do a picture of the same pose?" Sherman turned his head and smiles then asks her. "Well, for one thing that's my favorite picture of the spitfire and second, when I asked her; she very firmly told me no. She said that she and Kim have a lot of playing today and she ain't about to waste time !" They all shared a good laugh about that then Sherman told them something else. "Well, she didn't say it in those words but that was it". Sunshine asked him a question then. "Have you seen her?" Sherman looked around then he said. "I saw her and Kim running around in the kitchen and I haven't heard a peep since." Mildred then added. "I took a nap so I haven't heard anything ."

Sunshine looked around than Mildred says. "I'm sure they are still in the house honey but if we don't hear from then in a little while, we'll go look for them." Sunshine nodded her head and then she sat on the couch then she looked at the painting again and she asked Sherman another question. "Pop, when did you start painting?" He paused a little bowl full of cleaning fluid with the paint brushes in to the side and he looked over at Sunshine then says. "In my residence time, believe it or not; there was plenty of times that was boring as a cow eating grass in a pasture! So, I started reading Zane and the pictures he put on the paper were just so fantastic , the gun fighting, the Indians, the places; I just had to draw them so I could really see them. I did and it helped past the time... so over time it eventually I picked up the brush and started painting." Sunshine smiled then she nervously looked around then Mildred said. "Oh, let's go look for the girls! Come on."

All three of them got up and goes down the hall past the kitchen then starts down the hall when they stopped and heard giggling coming someplace, then they hear shuffling of little feet and she asked. "Where are they?" Mildred and Sherman listened then he smiles and said. "They are up in the attic ." The women smiled and they turned and walked up the stairs to the large attic. They saw the girls, Misty and Kim dressed up in Mildred's old dresses from different decades. Misty has on an antique white blouse with pearl buttons around the collar and a pink sweater on and a 1940's brown skirt. Her cousin has on a black flappers costume and Mildred looked at her then said. "My flapper outfit!"

Kim looked at her and asked. "What's that Grandma?" Mildred clasped her hands together and giggled than goes over to her and said. "What you have on Kim, that's called a flapper dress, they were popular for women to wear when they danced a long time ago . " Sherman looked at his wife and he said. "As I recall, that dressed showed your legs off the best." Mildred's face blushed a light red then Misty walked over to a steamer trunk that's open and piece of clothes are drapped over the sides and old medical school books laying about and pictures laying about but Misty picked up one of the pictures and took it over to her grandfather. She gave it to him and asks. "Is this you grandpa and grandma?" Sherman shows it to his wife and she smiles and he says. "It sure is honey, I was a dapper young man" Misty scrunched up her nose and asked. "What's that?" They all laughed a little then Sunshine says. "That means good-looking honey ." "Oh." Is all Misty said then she turns around and goes back to playing with her cousin.

A few minutes later, they hear Margaret and Hawkeye down below. "Hello? Col. Potter? Mrs. Potter?" Sherman got up and walked over to the door and he hollered down at them. "We're up here! In the attic!" A few minutes later, Hawkeye and Margaret appear and they look around and Margaret asked them a question. "What are you all doing?" Sherman goes back to sit next to Mildred on some old kitchen chairs and he said. "We thought we heard some mice so we came up here and found some models instead. " He points to Misty and Kim and the girls laugh and both said. "Grandpa!" The giggle and Misty puts on one of Mildred's wide brim pink hats with a rose on then and Margaret looks at the old black and white picture of Sherman and Mildred standing in front of an old white church with a steeple. Mildred has on a beautiful dress of the times, Sherman has on a classy outfit, a black suit with a matching tie. They are coming out of the church and then Margaret asked Mildred. "Oh, that's a beautiful tweed outfit! What color was it?" Mildred looked at the picture more closely and thinks then said. "It was black and gray I think, it was one of the last dresses my daddy got me". Sherman then said. "I remember the day this was taken, it was by that Langer boy." Mildred smiled then said. "He's a reporter for the town's newspaper now."

Hawkeye walked over and looks down at it and Sherman looks up at him then says. "That was the day I decided to become a surgeon ." That gets Margaret and Hawkeye's attention and Hawkeye sat down on a third kitchen chair and Margaret pulls up a stool and sits down and listens to Sherman's story.

_'Well, it was after Christmas and all the residents got an extra day off for the holidays but that was it for about a month then I drew the short straw finally to get off on a Sunday. Well, Mildred had found this Methodist church that she started going to and that Sunday that I was off, well, she had "convinced" me to go with her. And after, it was over, I was glad I went. That was the most peaceful time I had in a long time, I was more at ease like those tumbling tumbleweeds Tex sings about but I was still in a quandary, it was nearing my 3rd year of being a resident and I needed to decide on my speciality, I pretty much knew what I wanted to do but I wanted to be sure. Well, ten seconds after that picture was taken, life changed as I knew it. Mildred and I took one, maybe two steps toward the truck and this man...his name was Paul Gagon and that day he somehow lost control of his Model A and it crashed into a memorial building that was by the church. I ran over to Mister Gagon, he was unconscious, he had a large cut on his forehead and I was sure he had broken his ribs. Some of the men from the church helped me_ _get him out._

_The next few hours were a blur but when we finally got him to the hospital and we found out he was Alan's uncle. Alan wanted to work on him but Wangensteen put a kabash on that, there's too much emotion in working on your own kin so I did it. Blood coursing through my veins, my heart beating in my body so loud, it sounded like a thousand horses running and my mind jumping around like jack rabbits on the prairie but I calmed myself and I did it. I did my first operation...under strict supervision of course and from then on, I knew what I wanted to be...a surgeon.'_

**Back in 1965-**

Back in the attic of Sherman's house, everybody smiles and looks around at Misty and Kim still putting on antique clothes and playing grown up than Sherman asks Hawkeye. "So, where have you two been on this fine Sunday afternoon?" Margaret and Hawkeye looked at each other and smiled then Hawkeye says. "You tell them." Margaret could barely contain herself then she finally tells them. "We found a house!" Sunshine clapped her hands then says. "You bought a house !" Margaret shakes her head then she tells them. "No, there wasn't a house to be found, we looked all over Hannibal." Hawkeye stands up and he says in his usual joking way. " Radar and Sunshine bought the last house in Hannibal it seems..." He looks around and asks. "Where is the real estate/ weatherman?" Sunshine laughs then says. "He had to work at the station late last night so he's still asleep at the house"

Mildred than asked them. "So, where is this house?" Margaret and Hawkeye looked at each other than she says. "It's Frances and Myron's house!" Mildred looked at them in shock then at her husband then asks. "What?" Hawkeye then explains to them. "Sidney is taking Frances back to New York, she's slowly getting better but he feels she can get better back in New York so they are taking Myron back and we agreed to rent the house while they are gone". Sunshine then says. "That's a small house". Hawkeye shook his head then said. "It is but both Margaret and I say that if we can live in a tent in the middle of Korea smack dab in a war, we can live anywhere." Sherman then says " And with my namesake in the room with you, it has to feel like a matchbox on fire!" Hawkeye grins then he shrugged his shoulder and said. "Well, now that you mention it." They all laugh then Misty comes over there with all Mildred's clothes off and back in the truck and she goes over to Sherman and she says. "Grandpa, I want to go read Black Beauty!"

Sunshine stood up and she went over to the trunk to neatly fold the clothes and she looks at Sherman and he said. "Okay, let's go...do you remember which chapter we were on?" The little girl proudly said. "Thirty-six!" Sherman nodded his head then said. "Right, I was just seeing if you remember". Misty took her grandfather's hand and they go down the stairs to the living room and the family and friends left in the attic smile at each other.

**A/N-Some people have said that I need to write my stories in the past tense so I tried, how did I do?**

**On the show, they went back and forth on Sherman's religion, one was prespertearian and the other Methodist, I went with the one I could spell. LOL.**

**Sand n' Sable.**


	37. Chapter 37 Sweet Golden Memories

**A/N-Sorry for taking so long but this chapter was a hard one. I wanted it to be an important one, In the storyline, Sherman and Mildred has 'adopted' Walter and his family , Sherman would have anyway as much as he feels about Walter but I had Sherry, Sherman's daughter from the show die in a car crash with her son, Cory and husband, Bob and I realized that I never did really show the grief they would have experienced, so this is a reflective chapter.**

***Tissues are needed*  
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Sherman was sitting at the far right end of Alan's stable with his paint set put up, he was slowly painting the stable scene. 3 white horses, the first one inside the first stable, the 2nd one in a middle stable and has his head lowered eating the hay on the stable floor and the last horse closet to him standing proud and strong. A window is letting light in from each stall. An old map is nailed up on the wall in the last stall, Sherman looked up and saw the bird house nailed on a tall post right outside the window of the horse in the middle and he paints it.

He heard the large paneled doors open at the left end of the stable and he smiled when he saw his wife , Mildred quietly walk in. She closes the door and saw her husband painting so she doesn't say anything, just puts a small smile on her face and she walked around the hay stacks to get to Sherman. She saw the pitchfork in her way so she puts it up against a small round bale of hay then she came to a cart full of apples, she smiles and shakes her head then just walks around it. She finally gets to him and pulls up a small square bale of hay but doesn't say a word, she leans over and looks at the painting and she smiles then asks, "Nice painting, what are you going to call it?"

Sherman finishes the bird house and he looked around then said, "Steed stable."

She nods her head then grows quiet while her husband begins the outline of the second horse then he finally asked her, "Did Alan call you?"

She nodded her head then she said, "He was worried about you, are you upset?"

Sherman looked at her and he softly said, "Naw, he was just worried."

She looked at her husband then said, "You had his son come get you at the crack of dawn and come out here, why didn't you ask Sunshine or somebody else?"

He puts down his brush then he said, "Oh, I just wanted to be by myself and they would have just wanted to hang around like some worried mother cat."

She patted his hand two or three times then she asked him, "You're thinking about her aren't you? " She asked him in such a soft voice that if he wasn't there, he wouldn't have heard her.

"Yes, I am. I always do."

Sherman nods his head then he said, "Sometimes, I just have to get away with thoughts of her and today...well..."

Mildred then said, "She was only ours for a while Sherman but we have some good memories."

Sherman gives a small chuckle then he said, "She wasn't even supposed to be here."

Mildred smiles and she takes her husband's aged hand and they begin the memories together.

**February of 1930-**

_On one very rare day on a cold February, Sherman sits in his chair smoking a cigar, he relaxed and watched the lazy rings of smoke as they float up into the air. He laid his back into the deep, billowy fabric of the chair and he said, "Ahhhhh..." He puts his feet up on the stool and he closes his eyes then Mildred comes in the room, Sherman looked up at her and he smiled, then he said. "This is the first day off that I have had in a while, I'm sure glad I get to spend it with you." He reaches up and took her hand then he noticed that she held a small gift wrapped package in her hand, in a pretty red paper with a second hand gold bow she found somewhere because Sherman knew there wasn't anything like that in the house._

_He tapped the present then asked, "What's this? We just had Christmas and it isn't anywhere near my birthday so ...what is it?"_

_She smiles and gave it to him then said, "It's a I love you present. Open it."_

_He took the little box and took the lid off, he saw some crumpled white paper off then his eyes widen and he lifted up a little blue blanket and a baby pink rose blanket and his heart beats like a train in the middle of a dessert and he asked, "Wh-wh-what's this?"_

_Mildred smiled and she said, "Well, they are blankets for either our son or daughter."_

_He puts the blankets down and the box and he took her hands and she sat down on the stool in front of him and he asked, "You're pregnant?"_

_She shook her head then she said, "I think it must have been at Christmas."_

_He grabbed her by the neck and he kissed her then she said, "I'm sure we'll have this one, I waited long past when we lost the last one to tell you."_

_He looked at the still tiny stomach and he asked, "How far along are you?"_

_Tracks of tears come down her face and she wiped them away then she told him, "Three months."_

_He gently pats her stomach and pulls her on his lap and they both laugh._

_IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Two months later, Mildred's little blooming stomach has a bud on it. The door opens and in comes Sherman, almost stumbling on his feet, so tired out that he is almost falling asleep on his feet and somehow he shuffles over to his favorite chair and flops down in it. Mildred goes over and closes the door, she goes over and kisses her husband and asks in a soothing tone, "Bad day?" _

_He looks up at her with one eye and he says as she starts massaging his shoulder, "Not really, just extraordinary busy. Seems like everybody in three counties came by with some ailment, broken bone or expecting a baby ..." He looks at her and smiles then says, "Except you, but your time will come." She smiles and stops the massaging then turns to go into the kitchen then a knock comes at the door and she turns and goes to it and there stands a tall brown headed woman with brown eyes and she said,_

_"Hi Mildred." _

_Mildred smiled an said, "Hi Patricia, what's going on?"_

_Patricia points behind her with her thumb then said, "My mother called and needs my help on the 3rd floor, can you leave the door open so you can hear Henry?" _

_Mildred smiled and said, "Sure."_

_Patricia looked at Sherman nearly passed out from exhaustion and she said, "Hi Sherman."_

_Sherman barely smiles and he said, "Hi Patricia."_

_Patricia leaves to go see about her mother and things go normal, she goes to the stove to make a simple meal for supper. Then about five minutes later, she hears a little boy holler,_

_"Mrs. Potter!"_

_Mildred puts down her wooden spoon and she goes to the door and asked, "What is it Henry?"_

_The little boy said in a frustrated voice, "My tricycle is stuck!"_

_She smiles and looks back at her husband and said, "I'll be right back Sherman."_

_Sherman waves at her and she turns and goes down the hall and she started to go down the steps, she doesn' t see the __**tanned Lionel toy train**__ and her ankle falls over it and she goes falling down the long line of stairs. She screamed and Patricia ran to the railing above her and looked down and Sherman came running and he sees her and his heart drops as he sees his love laying deathly still._

_A few hours later, Sherman is impatiently waiting in the waiting room, which was really a waiting area back in the depression era days and a doctor comes in the room. Sherman looks up at him and he said, "Doctor Miller."_

_The doctor looks at him and gives a half assed smile then he said, "Sherman." The doctor shifts his feet from left to right and he has a uncomfortable look on his face then Sherman said, "Come on doctor, give it to me straight, how's my wife?"_

_The doctor then sighs then said, "She'll be all right Sherman..."_

_Sherman catches what he left off and he asked, "The baby is lost Sherman."_

_Sherman sat down with the wind kicked out of him then the doctor sat down beside him and he said, "But that's not all Sherman." He places his hand on Sherman's shoulder then quietly tells him the rest of the bad news._

_A little while later, he goes into the room where Mildred laid in bed. She has a bed curtain drapped around her bed to give her some privacy since there is 3 more beds on the left side of the room where she is and 4 on the right side of the room. She looks at her husband and he goes and hugs her close then he sat up and looked at her and said, "Mildred, I have something to tell you."_

_She then said through gasps of breath, "I know, I...lost the...baby."_

_He smoothed down her hair and he cried then said, "I'm sorry sweetheart...but that's not...all."_

_She looks at him then he takes a deep breath then said, "Your body...soemthing happened...they don't think..." _

_He really doesn't have to say any more words, they just hold on to each other and cry their hearts out to grieve._

_IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

**Back in the last week of December, 1965, Sherman looked at his painting that he is doing of the stable and looked at the sturdy doors that Mildred came in and looked up at the moose antlers over the door and he smiled a bit then said,**

"But that isn't the end of the story, is it?"

Mildred takes hold of his arm, rubs it then said, "No, it isn't"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII III

_**It is now a year later from when young Mildred and Sherman lost the baby, it is Spring time and they are on a picnic, Sherman has head laying in his wife's lap, she had a dandelion in her hands, she blew on it and the white flowers from it, fly in the wind to create art in the sky. She smiles as she tried to touch them, she looked down at Sherman and she said, **_

_"Sherman?"_

_He still keeps his eyes closed but he said, "Hum?"_

_She takes in the fresh air that surrounds them then she said, "I'm going to have a baby."_

_He twists his head then said, "That's fine." He puts his arms under his head then a few minutes later, he pops open his baby blues and asked in a high-octane voice, "What?" He jumps up on this feet then bends down to face her and he said, "I thought the doctors said you couldn't get pregnant."_

_She smiled and said, "The doctors said, they didn't think I couldn't get pregnant again but...I guess they were wrong."_

_Sherman stood up and threw his hat up in the air and he lets out a WHOOP! then he helps his wife up and asked, "How far along?"_

_She beams and pats her belly then said, "Five months, I was so scared to finally admit it for so long but it is real, I finally felt the baby move yesterday."_

_He puts his huge hand on her belly then asked, "What do you want?"_

_She shakes her head then said, "I don't care Sherman, I really don't care; I just want a healthy baby."_

_He lets out a country-wide smile then said, "I want a girl, a girl that looks like her momma."_

_She puts her arms around his neck and they share a kiss then they twirl each other around on that lazy Spring day._

_IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_

_Four months later on July 4th, Mildred is lying around, resting for Sherman won't let her do much else. She has on a light, white cotton sundress but even having on a lightweight dress and the windows open to let in an almost non-existent breeze, she still wipes sweat off her forehead. She hears the door open and she looks up and sees her husband come in with a cartload of groceries and he looks at her then asks, "How are you? Is anything wrong? what's happening?"_

_She rolls her eyes and she said, "Sherman, I'm fine."_

_He puts down the sack the sack then he said, "Well, something could have happened since I left." "In twenty minutes?"_

_He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and he shrugs his shoulders and said, "Well..."_

_He starts going through the groceries and he said in a sarcastic tone, "Well, things are getting better in this depression, I was able to buy coffee, a lb. of oats, sugar; bread and sugar and oranges and real soap! I think next week we can buy some butter..."_

_Mildred looked at her husband and said in a low voice, "Sherman."_

_He just goes around putting the grocies up and said, "You want me to make a sandwich for supper? We'll have a big breakfast with the oranges and oats; have some coffee also"_

_She looks at him and said, "I think we'll eat at the hospital."_

_He finally looks at her and cocks his eyebrow and asks her, "Why?"_

_She took a big breath then said, "Because my water just broke."_

_He wastes no time in getting his hat back on again and goes to help his wife._

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman and Mildred laugh and he said, "I think I broke record time in getting you down to that truck."

They laugh some more than Mildred said, "And that wasn't the last of the fun."

**Back in 1931-**

Twelve hours later, Sherman finally walked into Mildred's room and he looks on at her holding a baby. He carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and Mildred looked at him and she said, "Meet your daughter Sherman."

He finally seems to start breathing again and he leans in, pats her little hand and listens to her softly coo then he asked, "Did you check her fingers and toes?"

Mildred laughs and she kisses the top of her little girls head then said, "Yes, I did Sherman."

Then he asked, "What do we name her? Can't call her filly."

Mildred shifts the baby around a bit then she said, "I was thinking of Sherry."

Sherman runs the name around in his mind then he said, "Sherry Potter, sounds fine to me."

Mildred and Sherman kiss over baby Sherry.

_Then they watch their daughter grow up over the years, her first crawl and walk, they listen to her first words, running and playing with the neighborhood kids. The watch their baby grow into a child, going to school._

**Back in 1965-**

"You remember that time when we could FINALLY afford to go on a family vacation to St. Louis?" Sherman asked Mildred and Mildred nods her head with tears in her eyes and Sherman asked, "Wasn't the name of that place, that confectionary shop we went into named **"La King?"** Mildred nods her head and smiles as they remember together.

"Boy, I'll never forget it, she was Misty's age I suppose, and when she walked into that shop; she ran straight up to the candy section, her eyes popped out when she saw the chocolate strawberries...chocoalte grapes and apples..."

Mildred then said, "She loved that chocolate castle, it was so detailed with peaks, window, the little door and it was piped with that white icing." Sherman smiles and said, "Yeah, and they had a pink bow on it then when she found out they were having a contest to give away that castle! And she made us put our names in the candy pot! And out of 1500 names, she won ! She was prouder than a speckled spotted pup who won the blue ribbon!"

Mildred then said, "Then she saw the bowl of gum balls and the three little piles of pink, yellow and dark-colored macaroons..." Sherman nods his head then said, "Don't forget the chocolate bunnies, one with a red bow tie..." Mildred finishes that sentence, "And the other one wearing a little bell! Oh my! Then she saw all the other candies and peppermint sticks in the display case! Then the salamine chocolates which were the most expensive chocolate in the place Then she saw the chocolate bark but then she eyed the strawberry cupcakes, the roses cupcakes, the carrot cupcakes. The apricots dipped in chocolate!"

Sherman nods his head then said, "I seem to recall the silver balls dipped in something but then next to them was that chocolate bouquet."

Mildred nods her head then she said, "There was so much chocolate but she finally settled on the strawberry and one of the roses cupcakes, she won the castle, that was enough."

The both nod their heads at the pleasant memory then Mildred said, "I think we both remember that SO well because that was the first time we really saw her that excited."

They look at each other and Sherman said, "She was a good child."

Mildred stood up and she looked around then said, "You better finish your painting, it's going to be suppertime in a few hours and Sunshine will call the Calvary out on both of us."

Sherman finishes the stable, he paints the haystacks laying all round him and to be a little whimsical, he paints a needle in a haystack in one of them. He signs his name at the bottom of the painting and as he cleans the brush, he asked Mildred. "Is that place still open?"

Mildred thinks on his question then asks, "** 'La King'**? Yes, because Laura and Minnie just took their boys to it last summer"

He looks at her with a twinkle in his eyes .

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

A few days later in the last few days of 1965, Mildred, Sherman, Walter and Sunshine stand back and watch Misty and Kim excitedly going over the same display case that Sherry stood at and they drool at all the candle and a few extras that wasn't made when Sherry was that age. marshmallow chicks in rows of three. The first row is of yellow chicks, then green chicks, pink chicks and red. Chocolate guitars and chocolate bagels on a tray.

**A/N-There is a chocolate story like the one I described, it is called 'La King' and it's in Galveston, Texas. But they also serve ice cream. Go check it out, it's great!**

**Please send me reviews to let me know what you think of this remembrance chapter.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	38. Chapter 38 Marjorie

**A/ N I'm sorry it's been awhile since I updated but quite honestly, I was stuck but I think with the help of the People's Sgt, I got unstuck so here we go on the life of Sherman Potter!**

**As far as I know, they never did name the nurse that Sherman had the affair with so I will.**

**Also in the last chapter, I had named Sherman's daughter Sherry but it was really Evy as one reviewer pointed out, the writers of M*A*S*H kept us guessing at things as they kept going back and forth on different things.**

Sherman is on the couch with his granddaughter Misty reading to her from the book of 'Black Beauty. His other granddaughter Kim laid down on the floor in front of the old black n' white television set and a voice comes booming out and it said;** 'We are proud to announce that you will be watching Guy Lombardo and his royal Canadians, broadcasted from the ball room of the Waldof-Austoria hotel, here on CBS' **A roaring fire is growing in the fireplace to warm them on New Years Eve . The television is not loud enough to drown out Sherman's words as he reads the last lines of the chapter to Misty, _'After this we continued our journey, and as they got out of the cab, our friend was saying, 'My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong, that we have the power t stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt'._

He closes the book and smiled at Misty and she looked up at him and she said, "Thank you Grandpa." She then shimmered down the couch to lay down on the floor with her friend, Kim.

Mildred went over and sat down next to her husband and he looks at her lovingly and they put their old, frail hands in each other and then look at the television to watch Guy Lombardo and his band play a song and Mildred looks at the clock on the wall and saw that it said 11:03 then she turned to watch t.v. then they hear a knock on the door and Sherman said, "That's probably Margaret, She said she might come over with Daniel since Hawkeye is working." Mildred then said, "Busiest night of the year for doctors, New Years."He smiled at her than got up and answered the door. Sherman's neighbor, Jerry comes in. and he said, "Hi Sherman, I hate to bother you but we got a problem."

Sherman looked at the other people with Jerry, Jerry's wife Mildred and about 3 other families with him and Sherman said, "Well, you best tell me, I'll do what I can." Jerry than tells him, "Well, it seems like their is a power surge going on in the neighborhood and it seems that you are about the only house around that has electricity." Sherman looks at he freezing children snuggling in their coats for warmth and he said, "Good Lord, get everybody in!"

Mildred jumps up and she said, "I'll go get some blankets and bedding together." Just then a plump red haired woman in a blue plaid flannel shirt and jeans comes in and she holds an armful of blankets then said, "I bought some Mildred but we are going to need more." "OF coarse, come on Lisa. Sherman,, you best go see about the other heaters in the house, we may have to set some neighbors up in the den."

Jerry than said, "I can't believe how cold it is and it's not even snowing." Sherman nods his head then said, "It will be before long, Radar tried to tell those numbskulls at he station that it will be but they didn't belive him, I think they learned their lesson, Radar's sense about whether has only got keener since we left Korea; don't ask me why but I think it has something to do with those colder than the devil's ice heart winter's over there and now they will be holding their..." He remembers his young granddaughter over on the floor and he quickly changes his words, "Heads in their hats!"

Misty than stands up and proudly said, "My daddy knows everything!" Sherman chuckles then two boys come in and one boy who is a tall, red haired boy who looks about 9 and another boy who looks about 8 and the red-haired boy says "H, hi Misty" She sees her two friends and she said, "Come over here Georgie , by the fireplace!"

Both boys walk over to the roaring fireplace and warm up and Sherman said, "Let's go into the den and check on the heater in there, let me warn you; it's an old one, It's one of the first things we bought when I became a full-time doctor." Jerry nods his head and they walk down the small hall and Sherman opens the door and Jerry sees a den that is full of Sherman's life. The first thing is sees is a sturdy bookcase full of medical knowledge, He saw a picture of a beautiful blond-haired girl and it has a small golden nameplate underneath that says 'Evy'. Then he saw a painting g of Evy in the exact poise then he looked around the room and sees pictures and paintings of horses Sherman has had throughout the years. He saw a picture of a young fifteen year old Sherman with four guys and a small girl, he saw a picture of a man and woman holding hands that is simply labeled 'Mom and dad', Then he saw a series of paintings that he knows is Sherman's family from the 4077th in Korea then he saw some fresh new paintings of Misty and one called 'Steed stable',

He then watched Sherman walks over to a heater that he recognizes as a **1930s Parlour stove**, the stove is blue and white, about a foot and a half tall,sitting on claw legs/ Sherman opens a little door and sees that it runs on coal and Sherman said, "Mildred bought this in the winter of 32, she just fell in love with it and never could get rid of it so we do our best to keep it in shape. I know we ought to get rid of it and put something more modern in but, well..."

Sherman reaches over to pic up a small bag of coal and Jerry looked around the fine den then he said, "Um, Sherman, now that I got you alone,there's something I want to talk to you about..." Sherman empties half the bag in the stove and he picked up the fire poker and moves around the coals and looks at his friend and neighbor then Jerry goes on, then asked. "What is it son?"

Jerry looks around with a worried look on his face than he takes a breath then says, "Well, it's just that Millie and I, well, she's taking this class at college...they are at night and since she's not at home to fix my supper, well, I've been eating out a lot and there's this young waitress at the diner where I eat; her name is Lori, she's a short little thing...funny, attractive...and I'm starting to have these warm, fuzzy feelings and...I feel like a heel."

Sherman puts down the fire poker amd he went to sat down in a bright ruby-red wing chair and he asked, "DO you love her? Do you love Millie?" He nods his head then san said, "Yes but..."

Sherman put up his hand and he said, "Don't do it son, it isn't worth it." Jerry looked at him and arched his eyebrow asking a silent question then Sherman just nods his head and he said, "Yes, I had an affair...it was back in '32, just after new years, I guess that's why it's not one of my favorite holidays. Everybody says it's a day to wipe the slate clean and you get to start over..." He shook his head then said, "It just reminds me of how stupid I was and almost lost the best thing I ever had put on me since my mother made biscuits. That might be simple but..."

_One morning I came out, I was putting on my suspenders, Evy was 6 months old and she was playing on a blanket on the floor and Mildred was in the kitchen packing up the last few knick knacks we had in there. We were moving to some new housing in St. Louis that she was going to find and rent while I finished up the last few days of my residency. I'll never forget that morning, I went over and kissed Evy, she just cood and giggled like any baby girl seeing her old pop then I went over to Mildred, she put her arms around me and kissed me ._

_I sat down at the table to eat the meager breakfast that we could afford back then, an orange and a small cup of coffee. She then asked, "How do you feel?" I took a sip then said, "Excited,this is the last few days of my residency but I'm also sad since you are leaving." She smiled warmly at that then said, "I hate it also, I don't have to go Sherman: I can stay." I shook my head and said, "No, go on and find us a place to live but try to find something with a big enough living room and an extra room that I can use as a exam room, I want to put up my shingle as quick as I can."_

_Mildred then heard Evy coo and she looked over to check on her then said, "I left you the last of the potatoes and some ham left from the other night, maybe you can make a stew for yourself tonight, after that, you're on your own." I laughed then took a bite of one of the orange slices then said, "I better get going, that old truck is taking a few minutes to warm up these days, that L-29 may be on its last legs." Mildred then said, "Hopefully, we can buy a new car when you start your practice." Sherman takes another sip of coffee then said, "Let's not count our chickens before they hatch, let's see how I do in this practice; I may still have to go to work in a hospital someplace" She shook her head then I took the last slice of orange and quickly ate it then hugged my wife then said, "Bye!" I went over and kissed my baby girl on her little hand then left for the hospital._

_About 30 minutes later, I walk into the lobby of the hospital and look around The lobby seemed rather cold in appearance except for the nurses desk, at the desk was a woman of a slight build, her hair was midnight black and she had it in acute little bun but she kept little ringlets out in front by her ears that framed her face in such a cute way she had such blue eyes that I have never seen on a person since...her name was Marjorie._

_Marjorie looked at me and she smiled and said, "Doctor Potter." I smiled back and tipped my hat and said, "Marjorie" and then after that, the day was busier than bees in a honeycomb. I smiled at Marjorie on the way out and she said, "Have a good night Doctor" I turned and smiled back and said, "I'm going to try." "I'm sure Mrs. Potter will have you a good meal when you get home." "Well, she did leave me some stuff to put together. She left this morning for St. Louis, she's going to try and find a home up there while I finish up my residency here, should be back together in a week or two." "Well, let me know if I can help you. My sister says I'm a good cook." I tip my hat and say, "Will do." Then I walk off for hoe not knowing I made the biggest mistake of my life._

_I went home, looked at the potatoes, sliced them thin, reached in and got the ham from the ice box, got some homemade chicken broth one of our neighbors made and fixed myself a small pot of stew. Then I went over and got Mildred's picture in the oval frame and kept it with me the night, I even slept with it on the pillow next to mine._

_Things were going as normal, then by the fifth night, it was the next to the last night that I would ever be in that hospital, at least as a resident, I was dragging, it had been an especially hard day, it was just bone weary tried in my body. I went by the desk and Marjorie say m, she looked and she said "Good night", at least I think she did, I was so tired, she could have said a curse on me and I wouldn't have noticed; well, she noticed the sad sack on my eyes and she offered to make me dinner, I thought about what was left in the kitchen, which was just salt and a little pepper, so...I went home with her."_

**Back in the last forty-five minutes of 1965-**

Sherman raises his hand to stop Jerry from asking a question then he said, "No, we didn't sleep together that night but...

**Back in January of 1932-**

I went back to her apartment the next night and she fixed me another fine supper...nothing really happened but I sat back in the chair, light up a stogie and she actually had some whiskey. But all that night, I thought about her and all the next day as I ran around doing errands to leave there. Well, that night, I went to her place and after another fine supper,another stogie but this time since I wasn't going in the hospital the next day...I drank more_ whiskey than I planned, we both did and things heated up more in that apartment than the fire roaring in the fireplace._

_Eyes roamed, hands felt and kisses were shared. She let down her hair and it fell like a black waterfall then we looked at each other and our thoughts became consumed with knowing each others bodies and so one by one, our clothes came off, we just left a trail of clothes from the fireplace to her bedroom. The next morning, I felt so enormously guilty that I silently dressed and left without even really speaking, I spent that day and the next in a world of guilt then the last day in that town, I went to the hospital, you know to say goodbye to everybody, I knew she would be there at that desk like she was everyday but to my surprize, she wasn't._

_I asked Alan about her and he said, she didn't come in. Well, I left and met Mildred in , she met me at the train station with Evy. Everything was..."normal", we kissed, we hugged and the days went on with me and my family but...it wasn't, there was something in her eyes._

**Back in 1965-**

"So, it isn't worth it Jerry, that look in their eyes, , it just isn't worth it. Could you look at Millie with that look in her eyes, knowing you put it there?" Jerry looks around and he asks, "She never said anything?"

Sherman shook his head and said, "No, but she knew, I don't know how but she knew...you never did answer, Jerry, do you want to put that hurt look in her eye?" Jerry slowly shakes his head "No" than Sherman looks at the stove and feels the heat and he stands up and said, "Let's go "

They go in the living room and they hear ** Guy Lombardo sing 'Auld Lang Syne'** They look down and see all the kids asleep in front of the fireplace, Mildred comes to stand beside her husband and lovingly puts her hand on his and Jerry walks over to his wife and puts his arm around her.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

On another part of the world, Guy is singing the same song on a television set and a woman's elderly voice said, "Please turn tit off." A young man in his 40's gets up from his chair and goes and clicks off the t.v. then he said, "You never did like this song mother"

The elderly woman smiles and she said, "No, I don't but I love you son."

A young nurse comes in and she gently said, "Miss Marjorie, time for your pills."

The nurse hands her some water and the pills then she leaves and Marjorie said, "I love you Sherman." The boy named Sherman smiled and he said, "I love you mom, I best get home to Sandra."

Marjorie smiles and she said, ""Give my love to her and goodnight"

Sherman picked up his jacket and leaves the nursing home his mother lays in and Marjorie looks at the velvet darkness outside her window and she said, "Good night Sherman."


	39. Chapter 39 Pride

**A/N-I am start this chapter on a perfect day! Memorial Day! This chapter is written in honor of all those men and women who have died for us to have the freedom to sit down in front of a laptop and write 'Sherman reads Black Beauty' or whatever we want.**

**I am trying to be historically accurate as possible but if I make a mistake, please don't burn me at the stake. And after you read, please leave a note telling me what you think!**

Sherman sat in front of the television set and he had the news on. You could see the reporter who sat behind a huge desk and he said,_ 'Yesterday, on January 27th, 1965 , General Khanh seized control of South Vietnam and on the same day, President Lyndon Johnson's aides, National Security advisor McGeorge Bundy and Defense Secretary, Robert McNamara; sent a memo to the President stating that limited military Implement is not succeeding, and that the United States has reached a fork in the road, we must either escalate in the war or withdraw. This is Jeffrey Daniels at CBS.'_

Sherman clicks off the television set and sat back and looked out the window and the first thing he sees in the **red, white and blue American flag flying majestically atop the twenty-foot pole**. He watches the fluffy white clouds drifting by on that cold January day and he saw Margaret and Hawkeye coming up the walk with baby Sherman Daniel in a baby Moses woven basket. The baby has a thick blanket closely snuggled in over so the cold wind doesn't get to Daniel. Hawkeye than rang the doorbell and Mildred practically flew to the door and when she opened it, she squealed and Hawkeye hugs her and she hugs Margaret then takes the blanket off the baby, gently picks up the two month old baby then Misty and Kim come bounding in to see their baby "Cousin".

Mildred asked Misty if she wanted to hold the baby and Misty shook her head with enthusiasm then Margaret said, "I remember when people used to be excited to see us."

Mildred laughed and Sherman got up and went over and shook Hawkeye's hand then he said, "Let's go into the den. Let the women giggle and fawn while we talk." Hawkeye nodded his head then said as he followed Sherman into the den, "Did I tell you I got letter from B.J.?" Sherman turned his head and said, "No" then he opened the door and they went in the warm and handsome room then Hawkeye said, "Yes, he thinks he found a place to dry out his liver or hang out his liver, I never could read his writing; he writes like a doctor." Sherman chuckles then he motioned for Hawkeye to take the chair, then he sat down in the chair then he asked Hawkeye,

"I never did really ask you Hawkeye but what is the stuck in your gut like a claw on an eagle reason why you dislike the Army so?"

This catches Hawkeye's full attention and he sat up straighter and he said,

"It's not that I dislike, well, yes, I do; I feel the Army is intrusive , intrusive to people's live; those in the army and those who are not." Sherman nodded his head and stood up and walked over to the wooden bookcase on the wall and he asked Hawkeye a question, "Did I ever tell you why I got in the Army?" Hawkeye thinks on that then said, "No, I know you lied about your age to get into WW 1 so I assumed you just...stayed" Sherman chuckled again and he gets an aged, yellow envelope then went back to his chair and sat down then he asked, "You remember those fellows I once told you about that night in my tent when we had that mortgage burning party?"

Hawkeye smiled at the memory and he put his right ankle on his left knee than said, "Yes, that was a great night". Sherman nodded his head then said in a faraway voice, "Yes, Ryan, Herman, Mark and Steve...4 of the best friends..." Then almost as quickly as he remembered, he comes back to the present and he said, "They were my best friends but did I ever tell you about Ginger, the girl we rescued in the war ?" Hawk shakes his head no then Sherman continues,

"Well, we did...she was just wondering the streets, had run away from a physical abuse situation, she didn't have any family to speak of so we just sort of adopted her...I was beginning to wonder which one of us she would go home with after the war since she stayed with us like a newborn calf to its momma but then she got sick. We found a nun to come take care of us and she took Ginger to a orphanege..well, the war ended and we went home, minus Ryan. Well, we stayed in touch with Ginger through the years but then..."

Hawkeye notices the wistfulness in his voice and asked softly, "What?" Sherman looked at him then sat back and told him, "Most people think the war started on December 8, 1941 and that might have been the day we got involved but for Ginger the war really started before then..."

Sherman then goes back in time telling him, _'Evy was 9 years old and I was in my 8th year of practice, things were going good then one day in late October, Evy came home crying._

_I heard the screen door open then the kitchen door and Mildred and I saw our little Evy standing there with streaks of tears down her little cheeks, Mildred, like any mother; goes over to her and wipes her cheeks with her pink apron with tiny white dots on it, I remember Mildred kissing the top of Evy's head like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my nice,comfortable chair and when I saw her crying, my blood just boiled over like hot water boiling chicken and I hopped up and Mildred asked, "What's wrong child?"_

_Evy sniffled some more and she had to catch her breath then she said, "You k-know how we are supposed to write about men who fought in the wars and, and I was going to write about Sgt. Major Ronald Butts?" I look at Mildred and she looked at me and then Evy went on, "Ernest Fields told me I couldn't do it since Major Butts was a ..." I could tell Evy was uncomfortable saying the word so I said it, "He was black?" Evy nodded her head then Mildred asked a question, "But he didn't say black did he?" Evy nodded her head with the tears still flowing and she put her arms around her mother and cried some more than I asked, "Did your teacher say you couldn't write about him?"_

_Mildred gave her one of my handkerchiefs for her to blow her nose and wipe her face then said, "No, she said that I could write about anybody." "Then you write about Sgt. Major Ronald Butts, he was a good man who did a lot of good for this state, your mom and I were there the day they buried him." Evy stopped crying for a moment and she looked up at the two most important people in her life and she asked, "You were?" Mildred nodded her head and I tell her, "Yes, and there was a lot of people there, black and white."_

_Just then the tears stopped and Evy jutted out her chin and she very plainly said, "I am going to write the best paper on Major Butts that I can! And NOBODY will tell me I can't do anything ever again!" Evy regroup her school books in her arms and she goes to her room, slamming the door and we didn't even mind, because we knew she was mad at Ernest and not us and her rage would come out in her school work."_

**Back in January of 1965-**

Sherman stood up to go stock the fire in the little heater than Hawkeye leans forward and asks, "That was stupid of that boy , but that isn't what got you in the Army was it?" Sherman shook his head then said, "No but it got my gears going, I can tell you that."

**1948-**

Later that night, as we were getting ready for bed, I was putting on my pajamas and Mildred was sitting at her parlour and brushing her hair and she asked me, _"Sherman, should we make her write that paper if the kids are going to make fun of her?" I shake my head and I told her, "We're not making her do anything baby, she's doing it all on her own like a colt leaving her momma and we have to teach her not to give into prejudice, this won't be the first time she'll face it. I've come across it in my life and just because I'm white doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when your friends face it." Mildred nodded her head and kissed me goodnight and we got in the bed and turned off the light and all I could see in the pitch darkness was my baby girl crying._

_The next morning, I got up and ate breakfast and told Mildred I had to go run an errand before I went into the office, when in truth I went to Ernest Field Senior's hardware store..."_

**Hawkeye got a huge grin on his face that would equal a child on Christmas morning and he listens.**

_"I walked into that store with my spanking brand new grey pin stripe suit and a matching grey hat. I looked around, didn't see anybody behind the counter so I put my hand on that little bell people put by the cash register and made sure Ernest heard me. He came out and saw me all dapper up and he took a gulp but he came to me smiling just like a fresh penny. "What can I do for you Sherman?"_

_I looked at the man and sized him up, he was a small man really, about a good five inches than myself and I said in a authorize voice, "First thing is you can quit calling me Sherman, we ain't friends and we're not going to be as long as your boy keeps trying to bully my girl." Well, he started choking and gagging on his words and spitting and sputtering then he said in a weak voice,"Well, I don't know what you are talking about."_

_I just leaned in closer to him and I said, "OH, I think you do but if a bee didn't get in your ear, your boy told my girl that she couldn't write her little paper honoring a United States citizen in the Army; Sgt. Major Ronald Butts because he was in your sons terms, a 'nigger'. Now, first, that man did more for the whites and the blacks than you can count on your finger and in the second place, ain't nobody going to tell me, my wife or my girl what we can and can't do; that is not what I fought in the war for. Finally, if you or your son comes crawling around anything of mine, I'll strike back at you like a snake in the middle of a corn field, you understand?"_

_Fields just slowly shook his head and little beads of sweat popped out. I turned and left and saw Mrs. Drapper, a neighbor from down the street at that time, she told me later that after I left; Fields was muttering about what a nigger loving quack doctor I was..she said she just dropped the plunger she was holding and turned around and left. She and her husband were Field's best costumers but they never came back again._

_Well, time went on and Evy did her paper and Mildred and I were proud as peacocks in full bloom. Well, we both kept getting letters in the meantime, She was getting letters from her sisters back in Hannibal telling her how bad her mother was getting, her health had been on a slow decline since Mildred's father died and I was getting letters from Ginger, her letters were getting more frequent and she was letting me know what was happening in Europe. Steve was telling me some things also since he lived in Scotland._

_Hitler...Mussolini...Ginger was trying to keep moving around because of the threat from Hitler but it was hard in those days and Ginger was a jew, she had personally seen the horrors that her people had to endure Hawkeye and November 30, 1941 was the last letter I got from her in that time. At first I wasn't worried but being a former military guy I knew possibly what was going on but at that time I wasn't sure what I could do._

_Well, we decided to go take a trip back home to check Mildred's mother and we were afraid of what we would find but it really wasn't that bad. We walked into the house and the first thing we saw was her mother holding a picture of her late husband, she was standing by the fireplace. Mildred's dad was in full World War One uniform, the flag was proudly standing in the background. Mildred and her mother looked at each other and hugged then her mother looked at the picture then asked, "Wasn't your father handsome in his uniform?"_

_Tears came to Mildred's eyes then she shook her head, Evy came running in and she said, "Grandma!" Granddaughter and Grandmother hugged then I did a shiver and asked, "Aren't you cold mother?" She nodded her head and said, "Yes, I am but I can't build a fire Sherman so I have to do what I can." Then I said, "One will be made quicker than you can scat!" Just then she said, "Sherman! Not in front of the child! My! Mildred, surely you don't let this man talk like this in front of the child!" I rolled my eyes then Mildred said, "Build the fire Sherman and watch your mouth." "Sigh...yes ma'am." I go to get the logs to start the fire feeling already defeated._

**Back in 1965-**

Hawkeye just rolls with laughter than Sherman locks his hands and chuckles then continues,

**Back in the past**

_"Well, over the next few days, she told us a dozen handfuls of stories of her husband before World war I and his experiences in the war, had me swelling with pride at the thought of even knowing a man like him. Mildred's father was one of those rare men, he stood proud and strong and he had people listening to him even when he was just going through the ranks. He never did speak much but when he did, you listened. I certainly remembered him wearing his hat and seeing his eyes look at you up and down, sizing you up while you quivered with jelly, at least that's how I felt in those months courting Mildred. So we finally convinced mother to come back and live with us. Well, when we got home, I got letters and phone calls from my friends telling me more about the going ons of Europe then one night on December 8th, the worst thing happened to America, at that time. Pearl Harbor was invaded and nothing was the same. Well, with everything that had happened in the past few months, I went down to reenlist in the army and they were grateful to have me then when they found out I was a surgeon, they put a red carpet in front of me and I went in._

_Mildred didn't say anything, she just smiled and put her arms around me and kissed me. Evy cried because her daddy was leaving and Mildred's mother never said a word but I was told that she bragged to everybody about her son-in-law in the Army. I think she was more proud of that than the fact I was a doctor._

_I knew the chances were nil to nothing that I could ever help Ginger...you heard about Hitler, how he mutilated the Jews in so many ways...ovens, torture with dogs, gassed showers...the endless ways of murder...How did I not know she was in one of those camps? But I could do my best on my end to help._

**Back in 1965-**

Sherman then said to Hawkeye, "So if it wasn't for the Army, if we hadn't been 'intrusive' , who knows where we might be?" He silently gets up and puts the letter back in place on the bookcase while he leaves Hawkeye in his thoughts.

Sherman walks out into the hallway and starts to go to the living room when Misty comes up to him and she said, "Grandpa!"

He hugs her then she asked, "Can we go read Grandpa?" He smiles and said, "Sure, let's go."

**A BIG SHOUT OUT to all our service men and women!**

**Sand n' Sable**


End file.
